Back-to-back losses have the sent the San Diego Chargers down the cellar of the AFC West, and it’s high time for Philip Rivers and company to start winning again. Another opportunity for the Chargers will come knocking on Sunday, when the Cleveland Browns pay a visit to sunny San Diego. The Browns are coming off a loss as well. Will the Chargers halt their skid? Or will the Browns score a big upset on the road?
For more Week 4 game previews, you can also read our breakdown of Eagles vs. Redskins and Raiders vs. Bears.
[sc:Football ]Cleveland Browns vs. San Diego Chargers Preview
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
When: Sunday, October 4, 4:05 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Browns (+7.5) at San Diego Chargers (-7.5); total: 44.5 – see all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Cleveland Browns
[sc:NFL240banner ]It’s tough being Josh McCown these days, as it seems no one from the Browns nation wants to see him under center. But while everyone is asking for Johnny Manziel to take over the starting gig, few could truthfully deny that McCown did well on Sunday, albeit in a 27-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
Against the Raiders, McCown racked up 341 passing yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 28 of 49 passing. With that kind of performance, it would be a lot easier for head coach Mike Pettine to justify another possible decision to start McCown—if he’s healthy—over Manziel moving forward.
Still, the Browns can’t entirely pin their hopes on McCown, especially with a rotten receiving corps Cleveland has at its disposal. That’s not to mention a crappy offensive line that allowed McCown to get sacked five times by the Raiders. If anything, McCown may face less pressure at Qualcomm Stadium, as San Diego is last in the league with only a sack to show in three games.
Of the Browns’ downfield targets, Travis Benjamin is the only consistent one, as he has 249 receiving yards and four touchdowns through three games. Tight end Gary Barnidge though, showed he can effectively fill the void left by Jordan Cameron when he went off for 105 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches against Oakland.
As for their defense, the Browns will have to plot ways to stop San Diego’s air attack that averages 296.3 passing yards per game, fourth in the NFL as of this writing. The Browns, however, are 14th in the NFL with 237.3 passing yards given up per contest.
The Browns’ secondary, which had 21 interceptions last season, only have a pick (Tashaun Gipson) to show thus far this year.
Cleveland is 5-2 ATS in its last seven road games.
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Betting on the San Diego Chargers
Maybe a home game is just what the Chargers need to get back on track. After going winless in a two-game road trip, capped by a 31-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Chargers return to Qualcomm Stadium for a showdown with the visiting Browns.
Location, however, is far from the only problem for the Chargers. As was made obvious in their loss to Minnesota, the Chargers have big issues in their offensive line. Against the Vikings, Philip Rivers was sacked four times for a loss of 30 yards. The same protection unit allowed the Cincinnati Bengals take down Rivers four times back in Week 2. Rivers can’t expect a light treatment from Cleveland either, as the Browns are sixth in the league in sacks with 10.
More solid play from the offensive line could translate to even better production from Keenan Allen. Allen is clearly past his sophomore slump, as the wide receiver has 315 receiving yards and two touchdowns thus far this season. In the Minnesota game, Allen had 133 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions.
San Diego’s backfield, meanwhile, will have to be more involved against Cleveland. The Chargers only had 90 rushing yards in that game with Melvin Gordon (51 yards) leading the team. The Browns are the weakest team against the run (158.3 yards per game) in the NFL, which means Gordon, Danny Woodhead, and Duke Johnson could be in for a huge game next Sunday.
Writer’s Prediction
San Diego (-7.5) wins, 35-23.
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