Written by Thomas Moore

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The Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers both come into Sunday’s game at Cleveland Browns Stadium off of disappointing losses.

The Browns dropped a winnable game against Indianapolis on the road, the franchise’s 11th consecutive road loss, while the Chargers went into their bye week after giving up 35 consecutive points in the second half of a loss to Denver.

Sunday’s game also marks the return of the brown jerseys, as Cleveland will drop the all-white look for the final five home games of the season.

Will that turn out to be the highlight of the day?

Let’s see if we can find out.

The Opposition

San Diego’s record: 3-3
Offensive rank: 25th overall/19th passing/18th rushing
Defensive rank: 13th overall/25th passing/2nd rushing
All-time record: Chargers lead, 14-7-1
Last meeting: Chargers won, 30-23, in 2009
The line: Browns (+3)

What to Watch For

Just like a week ago against the Colts, there is a matchup that would seem to favor the Browns.

Against the Colts, the Browns faced the 29th rushing defense; this week the Chargers come in with a pass defense ranked near the bottom of the league.

With the emergence of Josh Gordon as probably the best wide receiver on the team and with quarterback Brandon Weeden getting better each week, along with the uncertainty of running back Trent Richardson with a rib injury, seems like the Browns should be planning to air it on Sunday.

Of course, against the Colts the Browns only ran the ball 17 times, so ...

What’s the plan, coach?

“I think we’ve just got to make our decisions based on where (Trent) is health wise,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. “The good news is you always play more than one running back. We’ll just see how he’s doing and then put the roster together with those things in mind.

“I think you watch a defense and you’re always trying to do what you have to do to score points. I think what’s important is whatever play you call you want to be efficient doing it and we always go in with the idea that the running back is going to be involved. How that plays out sometimes changes if the score gets twisted one way or another.

“I’ve mentioned this before, ideally you want to be ahead at halftime then you can lean on the running game a little bit more. There are times when it makes sense to come out and run the ball a bunch in the first quarter because that’s the best way to score. There are times when it makes more sense to start the game by throwing a little bit more. I think in the last couple of weeks we’ve done a good job with our first drives and you see a different combination of things and then it plays out from there.”

Even if Richardson is somehow close to 100 percent on Sunday, turning the game over to Weeden may still be the way to go.

Since throwing four interceptions in Week 1 against Philadelphia, Weeden has thrown for 1,665 yards and nine touchdowns, with six interceptions. He has also connected with Gordon for two of the five longest scoring throws by a rookie quarterback in franchise history.

“The game is slowing down a little bit for me, but I’m also understanding what we’re doing offensively, which helps,” Weeden said. “That helps you process it, you know where to go with the football, you know where your progressions are, you know where your check-downs are and all those things. Just getting comfortable with the offense is probably helping me slow the game down more than anything.”

When (if?) the Browns decide to exploit the Chargers secondary, the offensive line needs to have a good day, especially against outside linebacker’s Shaun Phillips and Melvin Ingram. According to Pro Football Focus, Phillips and Ingram rank 11th and 13th in pass rush productivity.

But the Browns have been solid in pass protection, as Joe Thomas is fourth among tackles in pass blocking efficiency; Alex Mack has allowed just four quarterback pressures all year; and guard John Greco, who steps in now that Jason Pinkston is on injured reserve, has not allowed a QB pressure in 68 pass blocking snaps (all according to Pro Football Focus).

“I would just say it is a collective thing,” right guard Shawn Lauvao said. “It’s the running backs, the tight ends, the quarterbacks. It’s a group thing and we’ve been able to just communicate together and take it upon ourselves to make sure everything is on point.”

Keeping the pressure to a minimum is key as Weeden has only completed 42.6 percent of his passes while under pressure.

On defense, the Browns will face a Chargers team that is just mediocre, but more often than not mediocre is good enough against the Browns.

Defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin is out for the game with a calf injury and while defensive tackle Phil Taylor returned to practice this week, he’s not ready to return just yet. That leaves rookies Billy Winn and John Hughes to man the interior of the line for another week.

“Inside, our depth, when we get everybody back, is really pretty good,” defensive coordinator Dick Jauron said. “They are all playing at a good level. (Ishmaa’ily Kitchen) is learning more and more about our scheme and how we play, and he’s willing and he’s big. We like that combination. We’re happy about it. Again, up front there are a lot of really good young players. I think it bodes well for the organization as it moves forward and as we move forward this year.”

In the passing game, it’s pretty much Malcolm Floyd and not much else for the Chargers. Floyd leads the team with 25 receptions and 418 yards. The Chargers also have tight end Antonio Gates, who had a season-high 81 yards against Denver and caught his first two touchdowns of the season.

While Gates is not the same player he was when the Browns and Chargers last met – he caught eight passes for a career-high 167 yards – any tight end presents matchup problems for the Browns.

“He’s one of the premier, if not the, pass catching tight end in the business, and probably as good as the best of them have ever been,” Jauron said. “It’s very, very hard to matchup with him. With the big body on the safety and the athletic ability, he can be covered and still be open. He’s got excellent hands. He knows how to get open. Obviously they have a relationship, the quarterback and he have a relationship. They have played together a long time. They are very difficult to stop, very difficult. He’s a very smart receiver, knows how to release, knows how to set you up in his routes. It’s just a tough assignment for every team including us as you go up against him.”

The One Stat Pat Shurmur Needs to Pay Attention to This Week

Since 2009, the Chargers are 1-14 in games where Philip Rivers has to throw 40 or more passes.

The Prediction

After posting their first win of the season against the Bengals, thinks quickly took a turn for the worst last week against the Colts.

That loss has an agitated fan base ready to turn on the team at a moment’s notice and, if the Browns start off slow against the Chargers, any advantage the Browns have from playing at home goes right out the window.

The Browns have not beaten the Chargers since 2001 and have lost the last four meetings with San Diego.

So, can the Browns pull this one out?

“We’re going to come into the game prepared,” safety T.J. Ward said. “We’re not afraid of anybody, any quarterback, any receivers. We’re going to challenge everything and just try to make plays. We’re focusing on the San Diego Chargers. We’re not looking toward the bye or who we play after that. It’s the San Diego Chargers, Philip Rivers and the rest of their team. That’s where our mindset is.”

Well, preparation is definitely key, execution is also important.

And while these two teams are probably closer than many would give the Browns credit for, until they prove otherwise we can’t help shake the feeling that the Browns are going to find a way to mess up another winnable game.

Take the Chargers and the points.

Record picking the Browns this season: 1-5-1

(Photo by SanDiegoChargers.com)