The Cleveland Browns will have a tough test as they take on the Washington Football Team in Week 3.
After Week 2’s offensive display plenty are high on the Cleveland Browns. Baker Mayfield looked significantly better and the running game was dominant. The combination of Mayfield playing better in addition to Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and Odell Beckham Jr., playing at a high level has many optimistic moving forward.That being said, they cannot underestimate the defense of their Week 3 opponent, the Washington Football Team.
The Washington Football Team has a very talented defense and they have the ability to disrupt things for even the best offenses. It won’t be as easy for the Browns to find their rhythm against a defensive unit that is better than the Bengals. Opposing quarterbacks have an 80 quarterback rating against Washington and have thrown 3 interceptions. Washington has the second-most interceptions this season, something that could be an issue for the interception-prone Baker Mayfield. Washington’s defense has forced 4 turnovers this season, the second-most in the NFL behind Baltimore, Cleveland’s Week 1 opponent.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera knows to how to scheme a defense and will do everything he can to take away the running game to make Baker Mayfield beat him with his arm. If the situation arises that game rests on Mayfield’s arm, it is more than likely going to result in a Browns loss. The key to Cleveland’s offense is the rushing attack with Chubb and Hunt. If either are kept in check, it could prove to be problematic for an offense with a giant question mark at the quarterback position.
The question now becomes was the win against Cincinnati last week because of the Browns suddenly finding themselves offensively or a bad Bengals team? The truth probably is somewhere in-between. Cleveland has a ton of issues and until they show consistency from week-to-week it is perfectly fine to be skeptical about the offensive success in Week 2. What happens in Week 3 will tell a lot about the offense, the coaching staff, and just what Baker Mayfield is as a quarterback.
