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Cleveland Browns Should Beat Broncos, Peyton Manning on Sunday

By Zac Wassink

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The 2-3 Cleveland Browns should defeat the 5-0 Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday.

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Even the thought that such a statement could be true would have been laughable in early September. The Browns have 36-year-old  journeyman Josh McCown starting at quarterback. The Broncos have living legend Peyton Manning under center. Cleveland’s defense has been a letdown for a second straight fall under defensive-minded head coach Mike Pettine. The Denver defense may very well be the best in the business heading into Week 6.

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Their records tell tales of two different clubs. The Browns are, truth be told, lucky to be at 2-3. A week after the Browns blew a game to the San Diego Chargers in the final two minutes, Cleveland was five yards away from choking a late lead away to the Baltimore Ravens. Denver, meanwhile, has won five straight games to begin the 2015 season despite not always playing well. That’s what a good team does; win when the odds are against it.

Logic says that the Browns should get trounced by the Broncos. What has been logical about this edition of the Browns? The offense supposedly built on a strong rushing attack features a pair of running backs, Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson, that is not even averaging a combined 3.5 yards per carry (h/t ESPN).  All advertisements claiming that the Cleveland defense could win games for the Browns have become laughable due to the unit’s embarrassing play.

Up is down, and down is up.

The Browns are getting the Broncos at an ideal time. Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post reported on Thursday that defensive end DeMarcus Ware (back) and cornerback Aqib Talib (ankle) both missed practice for the second consecutive day. Four others, including wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (neck) and guard Evan Mathis (hamstring) were also among the non-participants for the Broncos during Thursday’s practice.

The assumption has to be that neither Ware nor Talib will be 100 percent if they take the field against the Browns. That will have an impact on a Denver defense that leads the NFL in sacks with 22 (h/t Cleveland.com) McCown and the Cleveland offense also happen to have two answers to solve the Denver pass rush; Crowell and Johnson as targets in the passing game. It was Crowell who took a screen pass 22 yards to the house last weekend against the Ravens on what was a game-changing play.

The Browns have their own injury woes this week. Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com wrote on Thursday that safety Tashaun Gipson and cornerback Joe Haden could miss the Denver game. Gipson is dealing with an injured ankle. Haden, who carried a broken finger and banged-up ribs into the Baltimore game, suffered a concussion last Sunday.

Gipson makes the Cleveland defense better. That cannot be denied, nor can it be denied that the same can’t be said about Haden heading into the game against the Broncos. Haden has, when healthy, been a shutdown corner in name only since the beginning of the campaign. His one pass-defended that he registered against the Ravens sent shock waves among Cleveland fans posting on Twitter, mostly because it was only his second PD of the season (h/t ESPN).

Maybe the invisible football gods have chosen now as the time to pick on Haden. Perhaps Haden’s lack of size in a world that is dominated by taller wide receivers and lengthy cornerbacks is catching up to the All-Pro. From what we have seen from the defense of the Browns since the Week 1 loss to the New York Jets, it would not be crazy to suggest that Pettine could, right now, not be blamed for trusting second-year pro Pierre Desir ahead of Haden.

Something will have to give when the Denver offense goes up against the Cleveland defense. The Broncos are averaging 71.6 yards on the ground per game (h/t ESPN). No team in the NFL has given up more rushing yards this season than the Browns. It would be downright demoralizing for the Browns, to the point that it could be season-altering, if Cleveland allows 5.0 yards per carry at home against the Broncos.

And what of Peyton Manning? Those expecting to see “The Sheriff” of old to ride into town to save the day have instead witnessed the steady decline of the greatest regular season quarterback in NFL history. Manning failed to notch a single touchdown pass against the Oakland Raiders last week. That was the second time in 2015 that he has been kept out of the end zone. McCown, meanwhile, threw for 341 yards with two TDs and an interception versus those same Raiders this past September.

Oct 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Other than during a brief stretch of play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, there has been no sign that the version of Manning fans so fondly remember is ever again taking the field. His passes now lack zip. Manning has been skittish in the pocket, and he has been rattled easily. The arm strength that was once elite has seemingly decreased slightly with every game that Manning and the Broncos have played this season.

Both the Browns and Broncos are vulnerable at this stage of the campaign. The difference between the two is that the Browns have been vulnerable since the opening kickoff against the Jets. Denver’s aura of invincibility, if any existed in August, has disappeared over time despite the team’s record. Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post is being asked by readers if the Broncos should consider benching Manning in favor of Brock Osweiler. That’s the state of the Broncos five games into the season.

I buried the Browns after the loss to the Chargers. I was a five-yard Baltimore offensive play from being right to do that. Pettine and the Browns now must climb completely out of the grave by earning a victory, one that should not be considered an upset, at home against the Broncos. Are these just the “same old Browns” in different uniforms and with different personnel, or can Pettine make something out of this squad?

We should be able to answer that question come Sunday afternoon.

Next: Josh McCown: Cleveland's Savior

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