The winless Cleveland Browns travel to Detroit to take on the (4-4) Lions this week. The Browns are coming off of their bye week and what an eventful bye week it was. A botched trade which would have sent AJ McCarron to Cleveland and the reinstatement of Josh Gordon (who isn't eligible to play until week 13). The Lions on the other hand beat the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football 30-17.
Browns Offense vs Lions Defense
It should be interesting to see how Kizer reacts going forward. The potential trade for McCarron only proves that the Browns aren't sold on Kizer being the future for this team. It doesn't mean he can't improve but he has a lot to prove in the next eight weeks.
Browns Defense vs Lions Offense
The Browns defense on the other hand has had issues when it comes to pass defense this year. But which Myles Garrett coming back this week, along with Jabrill Peppers and potentially Jason McCourty the Browns defense might be able to limit the powerful passing game of the Lions.
The running game for Detroit is non-existent. They rank 29th in the league with Ameer Abdullah as their leading rusher with just over 400 yards on the season. The Browns rank in the top five when it comes to rush defense so their is going to be a lot of passes thrown in this game.
Five Guys To Watch
1. DeShone Kizer: I'm curious to see how he plays going forward. Kizer is playing for his opportunity to start in 2018.
3. David Njoku: Another young rookie who has played well this year. The Browns need to use him as a third down/red zone threat. He's a big target for Kizer and has pretty good hands.
4. Christian Kirksey: Kirksey will be in charge of covering Reddick out of the backfield. It is extremely important for the Browns to keep the Lions passing game in check this week. They can't afford to let backs break free while checking down to the receivers.
5. Spencer Drango: Drango is taking over for the injured Joe Thomas at left tackle. This week he is going up against Ziggy Ansah, who is without a doubt one of the better pass rushers in the league. Drango had a solid game against the Viking and their elite pass rush. Hopefully he can continue to build on the solid outing.
Weather: Dome
Injury Report:
Betting Line (as of 11/9/17)
Detroit -10
Prediction: Lions 28 Browns 13
This game could be close for the majority of the game. But in the forth quarter is when the Lions pull away. The Browns offense will continue to struggle with the lack of playmakers and fans will be patiently waiting for Corey Coleman to get back (next week vs JAX) and the return of Josh Gordon.
