Cleveland’s home opener against Carolina could hinge on line play, whether the Browns can establish a struggling run game and how Deshaun Watson responds to a crowd that booed him in preseason. Cleveland beat Tampa Bay and Carolina beat Atlanta in their most recent games.
Both teams’ lines are described as works in progress. Carolina is missing starting tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, while Cleveland’s pass rush has not met expectations; the preview identifies defensive tackle Mason Graham as the Browns’ best defensive lineman so far.
Cleveland’s run game ranks near the bottom across several metrics, with a new offensive line and run scheme cited as factors. Tampa Bay faced a stacked box 30% of the time against the Browns; Carolina ranked 16th in rushing-defense success rate early this season. Watson played well against Tampa Bay, but was booed at his previous appearance before Browns fans, a preseason game.
