Sunday’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns was one of the more anticipated games of the 2019 season when the schedule released last April. While both teams haven’t had the kind of year they’d hoped, there are still storylines all over the field.
- Baker Mayfield faces Kyler Murray in a battle of the 2018 and 2019 No. 1 overall picks.
- Steve Wilks’ makes his return to State Farm Stadium as Browns defensive coordinator.
- LSU standouts Patrick Peterson vs. Odell Beckham Jr. will certainly be one-on-one.
Before the season started, many thought this game had primetime flex potential. With a combined eight wins between the teams, that certainly didn’t happen. Still, the connections between these two teams make this an interesting matchup to watch.
Read on for our Week 15 preview:
The struggling 2018 No. 1 overall pick looks to get right against the league’s 32nd ranked pass defense:
Baker Mayfield has thrown one more interception than he has touchdowns through 13 games of the 2019 season. After an excellent rookie campaign, Mayfield has had his struggles in his sophomore year.
There isn’t a better pass defense to get Mayfield’s confidence back than that of the Arizona Cardinals, ranked dead last in most pass defense categories. They were beaten by Pittsburgh’s third-string quarterback last week after getting absolutely torched by Jared Goff the week prior. The majority of quarterbacks to play this defense have had huge outings.
The odds favor Baker Mayfield having at least a solid game this Sunday. The Browns offense features playmakers like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and a returning David Njoku. Njoku, by the way, is a tight end. So, start him in fantasy football if you’ve got him.
On a serious note, Vance Joseph’s defense did play much better against the Steelers. Unlike the majority of games this season, they did give Kyler Murray and the offense a chance to go win the game with more than 20 seconds on the clock. His crew will need to show more progress against a much more talented Browns offense.
Steve Wilks looks to prove the Cardinals wrong by shutting down the dynamic Kyler Murray
The Cardinals fired Steve Wilks for only managing three wins in 2018. Well, the Cards currently only have three wins. Granted, almost everyone will agree that the Cardinals are a much better football team than they were last year.
Wilks will have his chance to prove Steve Keim was wrong for firing him after he was forced to work with a roster deprived of talent. The Browns defense certainly has been a solid unit under Wilks.
Cleveland’s pass defense has been their strength, which is understandable given Wilks’ extensive history working with defensive backs. They’re ranked No. 8 in the league for passing yards allowed. That doesn’t bode well for the Cardinals and Kyler Murray, who are coming off a second-consecutive game in which the offense struggled.
Similar to Wilks’ time with the Cardinals, the run defense is a problem for Cleveland. They’re currently 26th in rushing yards allowed per game. Kliff Kingsbury’s “air-raid” has often developed into the ground-raid. He boasts arguably the NFL’s best backfield with Kyler Murray, David Johnson, Chase Edmonds, and Kenyan Drake. It appears likely the Cardinals’ rushing attack will have a big role in Sunday’s game.
The Cardinals offense desperately needs a bounce-back game. They’ve regressed since their bye week and don’t look like the same crew who put up huge numbers against great defenses like their two games against San Francisco. Maybe Cleveland is the game to get that done.
Final Thoughts:
Speaking of the rushing attack, the former All-Pro David Johnson looked very good against the Steelers. The biggest knock on him previously was his apparent cautious and slow running. That David Johnson wasn’t there last week; the Johnson of old instead made an appearance. Cardinals fans (and the front office that paid Johnson handsomely) are all hoping to see the same D.J. moving forward.
On a bigger note, the calls for the firing of Steve Keim are growing louder and louder by the minute. Friday’s release of Terrell Suggs and the subsequent addition to the dead money pool have only made those cries louder. If the Cardinals fail to win another game this season, one would believe Keim would no longer be the general manager. One game might not be enough, but no one truly knows the plan of Michael Bidwill.
This game is winnable for the Cardinals. It’s their last game that they won’t be heavy underdogs in, as they will finish the season on the road in Seattle and Los Angeles. For the sake of the team’s progress into the future, they need to beat the Cleveland Browns.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
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