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Cleveland Browns Week One Prediction: Browns Vs. Panthers

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Logan Market | Last updated 7/20/22

With a brand new NFL season just around the corner, the Cleveland Browns are getting ready for possible disappointment with Deshaun Watson. But, no matter what happens with Watson, the Browns will be playing Baker Mayfield and the Panthers in week one.

This will be a Browns game that will get a lot of attention, so here is a prediction of how this game could turn out for Cleveland.

What to Expect From This Cleveland Browns Offense

Most of the Browns’ season depends on what happens at quarterback. If Deshaun Watson is the starter in week one, which seems unlikely, then you could guess that the Browns might win and you really wouldn’t think about it. But, it seems like a Deshaun Watson suspension is likely.

Report: Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson's suspension expected to be between 2-8 gameshttps://t.co/LzQX3qBZT5 pic.twitter.com/HsFbaQSjK2

— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) July 19, 2022

With Watson likely being out for week one, that puts Jacoby Brissett as the starter.

Going into 2022, the Carolina Panthers are sitting at number 30 in defensive power rankings. Simply put, the Panthers’ defense just isn’t that great.

The Browns do need to be careful with the Panthers’ pass rush, though. But even then the Browns have one of the best offensive lines in the league.

Per PFF, the Browns have the second-best offensive line going into 2022, just behind the Philadelphia Eagles.

So, even if Watson is out for week one, Brissett should still be able to perform well. He has all the tools in players like Amari Cooper, David Njoku, David Bell, and Donovan Peoples-Jones. The Browns should be able to get by against this Panthers defense.

The Browns’ run game will probably also be very solid against the Panthers. That’s the best part of the Browns’ offense and it probably won’t change. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt always seem to impress when they play together.

Can the Browns Perform Well on Defense?

Coming into 2022, the Browns are sitting at number 15 in the defensive power rankings. One of the biggest weapons they have is obviously Myles Garrett. And they obviously also have two great players in Jadeveon Clowney and Denzel Ward. Just those three players could be enough to carry the Browns to victory.

But, do they have Baker’s number? The answer to this question should be a yes since they know how he plays. The Browns definitely know how much Baker likes his play-action passes. In fact, he’s pretty good at those plays.

Many claimed Baker Mayfield was inaccurate in 2022 despite tearing his labrum but advance stats prove that is just media narrative. Baker Mayfield lead all QBs in Leveled In-Game Moving Accuracy at 78.7%. When Baker is rolling out in play action, he's elite #Browns #KeepPounding

— Tron Madden (@madden_tron) July 16, 2022

But, the only problem is that the Panthers can’t do play-action every single play. If the Panthers even try to use an offense with heavy play-action the Browns are going to have a field day.

So, Who Wins in Week One?

We can expect that the Panthers will get some offense in. The Browns obviously have to be careful with Baker since he has that chip on his shoulder that he likes, but the Browns should be able to take home the win in week one.

Final Score Prediction: Browns 24, Panthers 17

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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