Anmelden » The Cleveland Browns appear to have a nice opportunity to pick u

p their fourth home win of the season when they host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.The Panthers come into the game on a four-game losing streak and fresh off the firing of defensive line coach Brady Hoke and assistant secondary coach Jeff Imamura.The game may not be as favorable as it appears on first blush Greg Joseph Jersey , however, as the Browns have seen their run defense take a downward turn, especially over the course of the past five weeks.Starting with the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, the Browns have reverted to the bad old days when it comes to stopping the run. Cleveland has given up more than 125 rushing yards four times in the past five games, and also allowed an average of 4.8 yards per carry or higher four times. The ugly breakdown:Pittsburgh in Week 8: 168 rushing yards and 5.4 yards per carryKansas City in Week 9: 139 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carryCincinnati in Week 12: 129 rushing yards and 6.4 yards per carryHouston in Week 13: 187 rushing yards and 4.8 yards per carryThe only team the Browns have contained on the ground during that stretch came at home against the Atlanta Falcons, who gained just 71 yards and averaged just 3.7 yards per carry.That has dropped the Browns to 28th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (136.4), 23rd in yards per carry (4.8) and 30th in rushing touchdowns allowed (15). With a defense that is struggling to stop the run, the Panthers may be the worst team for the Browns to be facing right now, as Pro Football Focus points out:Carolina comes into this week’s game as the league’s second-best running attack at 140.8 yards per game, tops in the league in yards per carry with 5.5, and tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns with 13. Christian McCaffrey is carrying the water on the ground for the Panthers, having rushing for 863 yards and 5.3 yards per carry, while quarterback Cam Newton has chipped in 450 rush yards and is averaging 4.9 yards per carry.The Panthers took it to another level the past two weeks as they averaged 194 rushing yards and 8.45 yards per carry in their games against the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Those numbers come with a caveat, however, as despite the big numbers the Panthers lost both games. (H/T to Patrick Veverka)The Browns may be in for a long day on the ground against the Panthers this Sunday.But it could be the Panthers who are disappointed by what the scoreboard reveals at the end of the game. Baker Mayfield continues to wow the NFL, leading the Browns to a 26-20 victory over the Panthers Jabrill Peppers Color Rush Jersey , improving Cleveland to 5-7-1 on the year.The Panthers easily moved down the field on their opening drive, thanks to a heavy dose of RB Christian McCaffrey, who finished the drive off with a rushing touchdown from 4 yards out to put his team up 7-0.Cleveland responded quickly, as their opening play was a 66-yard bomb from QB Baker Mayfield to WR Bredshad Perriman to set up a goal-to-go situation. Two plays later, a unique formation saw WR Jarvis Landry take the end around into the end zone from 3 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.The Browns’ defense forced a punt on Carolina’s second drive. Backed up, WR Rashard Higgins was stripped of the football after a wide receiver screen, with the Panthers recovering. The Panthers faced 1st-and-goal from the 1 yard line to begin the second quarter. A couple of plays later, McCaffrey punched it in to give Carolina a 14-7 lead.Cleveland suffered a couple of penalties on their next drive and were backed up into a 3rd-and-17 situation. That’s when Mayfield rolled left and fired all the way to the end zone, a 51-yard rocket that Landry caught with a defender on him to tie the game at 14-14.Shoddy tackling quickly got the Panthers into scoring range, but the Browns’ defense held them to a 30-yard field goal to make it a 17-14 game.Mayfield continued making great passes leading into the two-minute warning. The Browns tried a trick play with Landry throwing the ball deep to RB Nick Chubb, but it was just broken up in a tight window. On third down, Mayfield fired a bullet to an open Higgins over the middle, but he dropped it — a play he either would’ve scored on or gotten inside the five on. K Greg Joseph connected on the 49-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-17, though, heading into the half.The Browns got the ball to begin the half, and squandered it: the first play was a dumpoff to Landry E.J. Gaines Color Rush Jersey , who was careless with the ball while trying to cut back inside as Carolina recovered in field goal range. The Browns forced a three-and-out to set Carolina up for a 53-yard field goal attempt...but then they suffered a delay of game and opted to punt instead.The Browns were backed up and couldn’t muster anything — and on third down, Mayfield’s streak of not being sacked ended. P Britton Colquitt punted from his own end line, but it was a good punt to put Carolina at midfield. The next drive was a mess of a fourth down conversion after a challenge, a turnover nullified by a penalty, and bad tackling en route to a touchdown...that was called back by a penalty. When it was all said and done, the Panthers got a 34-yard field goal mid-way through the third quarter to go up 20-17.Two holds on RG Kevin Zeitler killed the next drive for Cleveland, but a couple of completions at least set them up for a better punt. The defense forced their own punt, and at the start of the fourth quarter, the Browns ran the same running play as earlier with Landry, this time going for 51 yards before being chased down by LB Luke Kuechly at the 4 yard line. One play later, Chubb punched it in to give Cleveland a 23-20 lead. On the extra point try, the Panthers jumped offsides, and Cleveland’s snap and good kick did not count because the whistle had blown. The penalty made the actual extra point try five yards closer, but Joseph pulled it off the upright.Cleveland’s defense forced a timely three-and-out, aided by a pass break-up from CB T.J. Carrie on a deep ball. A big run by Chubb got Cleveland into field goal range, but the drive stalled https://www.brownsfanshop.com/Damarious-Randall-Jersey , forcing them to settle for a 41-yarder from Joseph. He connected, giving the Browns a 26-20 lead with 8:46 to go in the game.Carolina burned clock and efficiently drove down the field to a goal-to-go situation. On third and fourth down from the 3 yard line, though, Newton threw incompletions, turning the ball over on downs with 2:39 to go. The Browns were backed up now, but they got out of danger zone with a completion to Perriman. The Browns could only bleed the clock down to 1:04 before punting away to a Panthers team with no timeouts remaining. Newton’s first pass was sailed and picked by FS Damarious Randall, sealing the victory!Quick HittersQB Baker Mayfield: 18-of-22 for 238 yards, 1 TD. 2 rushes, 4 yards.RB Nick Chubb: 13 carries, 66 yards. 1 TD. 4 catches, 17 yards (6 targets).WR Jarvis Landry: 3 catches, 57 yards (4 targets). 1 TD. 2 rushes. 54 yards. 1 TD. 1 fumble lost.WR Breshad Perriman: 2 catches, 81 yards (2 targets).DE Myles Garrett: 1 sack.