Amari Cooper And Turnovers Top Cleveland Keys To Week 8
Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
For the second week in a row, luck was on the Cleveland Brown’s side as they squeaked by the Indianapolis Colt’s in a 39-38 victory to move to 4-2. P.J. Walker playing in his second consecutive game should’ve spelled disaster. However, thanks to official game wrecker Myles Garrett and a few polarizing calls towards the end of the game, the Browns have high spirits heading into Seattle for week 8.
Last week, the Seahawks went up against the 1-5 Cardinals, defeating them at home 20-10. QB Geno Smith had a great game, going 18/24 for 219 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. RB Kenneth Walker also handled the ground game well rushing for 105 yards. Here’s what to look for in a game that will feature heavy hitting, and even heavier playoff implications.
This is P.J. Walker’s team…for now:
The Browns front office did something that fans have been begging for: Be transparent and list Watson officially as out. Not only does doing so relieve stress from the fans, but that means Walker will get most if not all first team reps this week. To add onto that, now that Walker has reign of he offense for a full week of practice, expect him to have his best game yet against the Seahawks.
The Seahawk’s pass defense ranks 21st in the league in yards allowed and 22nd in pass completion percentage. Walker, who has had a completion percentage of 50% on the season, has a chance to improve coming into Lumen field. All he needs to do is be a game manager like he has in the previous two wins for the Browns to come out with another win. He also must lower his interception count, which is what has been keeping opposing teams in games they shouldn’t be.
Amari Cooper, please stand up.
Over the past three games, Cooper has only hauled in seven receptions, and the majority of them were all big-time clutch plays. On the surface, this doesn’t look like a huge issue, but Cooper needs to start being consistently involved in the offense.
Cooper has been playing with Walker over the past two games, so it isn’t all his fault. If the Browns want to beat the Seahawks and keep the winning streak going though, the Walker and Cooper connection needs to be improved.
Expect Seahawks star rookie corner Devon Witherspoon to be paired up against Coop, making this game a great base line for both players. If Cooper has a great game against him, it will show just how good the receiver is no matter what you throw at him. If Witherspoon locks Cooper up, not only will that prove Witherspoon’s superiority in the NFL, but it will also spark some uneasiness within the Browns WR room.
Turnovers finally coming out hot.
Despite letting up 38 points last game against the Colts, the Browns defense is still ranked the best in the league in almost all notable categories. Where they have lacked however, is in the turnover department. Before last week, the Browns defense had only came up with a total of four turnovers over five games.
After the Colt’s thriller, they doubled their turnover count thanks to three fumbles and an interception. The Seahawks have been decent at keeping the ball safe on the ground, with only two fumbles lost. Where the defense can capitalize will be from Geno Smith’s decision making and risky throws.
Smith already has four interceptions on the season, and with the Browns secondary heating up to the same temperature the defensive line is at, the Seahawks should be prepared for a difficult game on the offensive side of the ball. Myles Garrett also needs to keep rolling in his own right, being that he was responsible for half of the turnovers against the Colts, as well as a blocked FG.
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