The Cleveland Browns travel to Detroit for Week 4 to face the Lions, one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses and legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Cleveland is coming off a stunning upset victory over the Green Bay Packers, but oddsmakers view this matchup as heavily favoring Detroit.
ESPN’s Football Power Index heavily favors the Lions in this contest.
FPI prediction: DET, 78.1% (by an average of 12.0 points)
The Lions have been dominant offensively, scoring 90 points over their past two games.
Detroit’s efficiency reached historic levels in Weeks 2 and 3, becoming the first team since the 1970 merger to record six passing and six rushing touchdowns without allowing a sack or a turnover across a two-game span.
However, Cleveland’s defense presents a formidable challenge for Detroit’s high-powered attack.
The Browns lead the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed at 57.3 per game and boast the league’s longest active streak without surrendering a 300-yard passing performance at 31 straight games.
The Browns’ defensive unit has already stifled elite running games, including Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Jacobs.
However, Cleveland’s offensive struggles remain problematic, as the team has not scored more than 17 points in any game this season.
Joe Flacco’s interception issues and an injury-depleted offensive line create vulnerability against Detroit’s pass rush.
Cleveland must neutralize the Lions’ vaunted ground game featuring David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs to force Detroit into one-dimensional situations.
If the Browns can bottle up the running attack, their pass rush could pressure Jared Goff into some potential turnovers.
Garrett, Mason Graham, and the linebackers must establish physicality and maintain gap discipline to control this explosive Lions offense.
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