The Cleveland Browns, once again led by backup quarterback P.J. Walker, are all set to take on the Seattle Seahawks. Looking to spoil the debut of their throwbacks today, the 4-2 Browns will have their hands full against Geno Smith, Pete Carroll, and company. As we have seen before, however, the task ahead is not an impossible one for Kevin Stefanski and his unit.
Both teams are entering this matchup off of a win as the Browns took down the Indianapolis Colts on a last-second score, while the Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals in an ugly game.
The Browns face some injury questions at left tackle and running back as Jedrick Wills and Jerome Ford are questionable. For the Seahawks, wide receiver Tyler Lockett and safety Jamal Adams are questionable for this game.
Can the Browns make it three in a row? Here are our Browns Wire staff predictions for this Week 8 showdown between these 4-2 teams.
Jacob Roach (@roachizm13): Seahawks over Browns
The Browns travel to the West Coast to take on the Seahawks in one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. They will again be without Deshaun Watson as P.J. Walker gets the start against a very talented defense. The corner duo of Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon is one of the best in the league and Walker will have to be very smart with the football to avoid turnovers.
On the other side, the Seahawks’ offensive line has seen injuries and struggles early on. Geno Smith has been smart with the football limiting turnovers and the Browns led by Myles Garrett must find a way to pressure him early and often. Overall I just don’t think the Browns currently have enough firepower. Seahawks win 23-13
Browns Alchemy (@BrownsAlchemy): Seahawks over Browns
The Browns enter Seattle on a two-game winning streak. The thrilling last-second victories revitalized a team losing its way without a quarterback to guide them. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The Browns will fall short to the Seahawks on Sunday 17-21.
The Browns’ defense will bounce back from last week and limit Seattle’s explosive passing attack. Kenneth Walker III’s calf injury should severely limit the Seahawks’ run game. Rookie Zach Charbonnet is a craft runner but lacks the long speed to damage the Browns’ defense. The Browns’ defense will once again be negatively impacted more by the Browns’ offense than the Seahawks’ offense.
P.J. Walker is a serviceable backup quarterback, but his inexperience in the system limits the offense. Walker’s had problems with his timing and decision-making, he’s thrown three interceptions and zero touchdowns in his two games. He will throw multiple interceptions against a very talented Seahawks defensive backfield. The Browns will rely heavily on their injured or new running backs to keep them in the game, and the duo will do an admirable job. Unfortunately, the Browns’ passing game will fail to connect in the final moments of the game and the team’s hot streak will come to an end.
Tyler Greenawalt (@TyGreen14): Seahawks over Browns
The Browns have been bailed out by their defense the past two weeks, and that may not be enough to beat the Seahawks if the offense can’t score. Despite a likely defensive battle, Seattle should beat Cleveland in a tight 20-13 win.
The Seahawks haven’t allowed a team to score at least 20 points since Week 3 and have forced four turnovers since then. The Browns are in a similar boat defensively but were incredibly reliant on turnovers to put up points against the Colts — Cleveland scored 20 of its 39 points directly off takeaways in Week 6.
While Seattle is turnover-prone with five in the past two games, the Seahawks have the edge at quarterback, wide receiver and possibly running back if Kenneth Walker plays. That alone should be enough to keep pace with whatever the Browns are able to muster offensively. Cleveland certainly will be in this game, but ultimately won’t have enough to build on its win streak.
Cory Kinnan (@fakecorykinnan): Browns over Seahawks
Why not stand out and go against the grain here?
The Seahawks are not among the top of the league in turnovers created defensively as they have created just seven on the year, so the Browns have a chance to take care of the football. If they do, I like their chances more than most here. The onus falls onto Kevin Stefanski to get his players in favorable positions, but Walker has to hit his layups as well.
The offensive line of Seattle is banged up, but Geno Smith is excellent at getting the ball out on time. The Browns will need their secondary to do their job early so Myles Garrett and company can get home up-front. This unit needs to rebound as well.
Overall, these are the two best defenses in the NFL since Week 3, so scoring will be sparse in this one. Browns win 17-14.
