Three Reasons Why Packers Will Lose to Browns

“I think it’s just about consistency, details, whether it’s staying on blocks or whether it’s running harder,” Jacobs said of that state of the running game. “It’s things that’s easy to fix – very easy to fix. It’s just more so that we’ve all got to be on the same page and locked in to do it. 

“A lot of these teams that we play, we already know that they’re going to load the box. It’s going to be eight to nine guys in there, safety’s going to be flowing hard. It just is what it is. This is what we’ve got to expect so we’ve got to learn how to make adjustments from it.”

Jacobs has the attention of Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who is one of the best in the business. If he can stop Jacobs, he can potentially take away Green Bay’s play-action passing game, as well.

“Jacobs is their lead ball-carrier and sort of an old-school, full-time running back,” Schwartz told reporters in Cleveland this week. “Breaks a lot of tackles. Really strong, great contact balance and really, really good vision. He presses the hole as good as any running back, if not better than any running back, in the league. We got to be really physical at the line and we can’t peek out of gaps because he can find those holes and find creases that way.”

2. Potential Third-Down Problems for Packers

Good defense on first down, obviously, improves the defense’s chances on third down. No different than the Packers, that’s how the Browns want to play – stop the run, create third-and-long and let their pass rushers go on the attack.

Cleveland has arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL with Myles Garrett. Garrett ranks No. 1 in NFL history in sacks per game, his 0.89 just ahead of T.J. Watt and Reggie White, according to Statmuse.