3 Defensive Keys to Colts Defeating Browns

On Sunday afternoon, the 3-2 Cleveland Browns and the 3-3 Indianapolis Colts will square off at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts have a formidable defense of their own, but the Browns have a real one that ranks among the best.

To surpass the.500 mark and secure the team’s fourth victory of the early season, the Indianapolis defense needs to perform at its peak. Now that we know this, let’s introduce the three players the Colts defense absolutely needs to have if they want to win.

1. PRESSURE THE PASSER, FORCE INTS

But pressure has to be applied. The Browns’ field general, behind center, is where the Colts must go.

The Browns have now given up 18 sacks in their five games this season. They will now be ranked in the lower half of the NFL thanks to this. Additionally, despite having three starting quarterbacks (Deshaun Watson, two; PJ Walker, two; Dorian Thompson-Robinson, three), they have demonstrated a propensity for interceptions.

After missing two games due to a shoulder injury, Deshaun Watson appears to be close to playing against Indianapolis again. The Colts defense will have their hands full if this turns out to be the case.

Notwithstanding the attention the Browns quarterback has received, Watson is a reliable signal caller who is agile and capable of beating defenses with long passes and accuracy.

Indianapolis will need to get strong depth plays alongside fellow interior tackle DeForest Buckner to help pressure Watson if he plays, as they enter this game without their key defensive tackle Grover Stewart due to suspension.

But even with two-time All-Pro tackle Jack Conklin sidelined for the season due to a knee injury, the Browns have played well enough to support the offense throughout games. Cleveland’s offensive line injuries this season have contributed to a portion of the previously mentioned 18 sacks allowed.

Despite this, Indianapolis must attack where Conklin was and keep the passing game off the table for the Browns. Watson has shown, along with the backups, that he isn’t against forcing passes.

Get enough pressure on the former Houston Texans QB, and the Colts could find success with a turnover or more.

2. STUFF THE RUN, FORCE BROWNS TO WIN W/ PASS

When Cleveland is able to run the ball, its offense performs at its best. The Browns’ stellar season statistics speak for themselves; as a team, they rank fourth in the NFL with 147.0 rushing yards per game.

Due to their early bye week, the Browns have only played five games, but with 735 total rushing yards, they are still ninth in the NFL. Considering that the Jacksonville Jaguars have played seven games and are only two spots ahead of the Browns, that is an impressive stat. But the demolisher of tacklers, Nick Chubb, deserves most of the credit for this success on the ground. With 28 attempts, the former Georgia Bulldog averaged an incredible 6.1 yards per carry.

Despite only playing in two games, Chubb still accounts for 23.1% of the team’s total rushing yards. He would suffer a horrific knee injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers, ending his season. Kareem Hunt, a former member of the Browns, and Jerome Ford make up the committee for now. While both are playing decently as a tandem, they are not nearly as good as Chubb.

Even without Stewart, the Colts have a decent enough run defense going into this game to pose a threat to the Browns’ ground game. This puts the onus back on Watson. With an average of 226 passing yards per game for the season, Watson isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. He adds on four passing TDs, 83 rushing yards, and another score on the ground.

The Browns nearly need to develop a ground game in order to move the offense efficiently because they lack a strong group of wide receivers and tight ends.

To prevent the Browns from out-rushing the defense, Gus Bradley should have the Colts defensive front, linebackers, and secondary on high alert.

3. CONTAIN WR AMARI COOPER

Amari Cooper, a wide receiver with nine years of NFL experience and four Pro Bowl appearances, doesn’t receive enough attention or respect. He has caught 617 passes for 8,603 receiving yards and 56 receiving touchdowns during his time on the field. He is currently the Browns’ unchallenged leader in the receiving game as of 2023.

Cooper has caught 22 passes out of 39 targets in five games, resulting in 367 receiving yards and 16.7 yards per catch. In addition, he leads the team in every meaningful receiving category save touchdowns, which are led by running back Ford with two. This implies that if Cooper is shut down or limited by the Colts, someone else will need to step up.

It’s true that Indianapolis hasn’t had the best backup. However, strong safety Julian Blackmon, cornerbacks Kenny Moore II, JuJu Brents, and Jaylon Jones, are all either playing excellently or are settling into their rookie roles.

Cooper is vital to Indy’s defense because WR Elijah Moore, who has 21 catches but only 167 receiving yards (8.0 yards per catch), is the next best receiving threat.