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3 Things to Watch For: Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders

Here are three things to look for in today's game between the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.
Credit: Joe Robbins/Getty Images

CLEVELAND -- Following last Thursday’s victory over the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Cleveland Browns look to win back-to-back games for the first time since they rattled off three straight in the middle of the 2014 season.

And it will be a stern test, as the Browns will look to win in one of the most hostile environments in the National Football League, as they face off against the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum today, and do so with a rookie quarterback making his first regular-season start.

Here are three things to look for in today’s game between the Browns and Raiders.

Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass under pressure from New York Jets defensive back Jamal Adams (33) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium.

HOW MAYFIELD RUNS THE OFFENSE

Baker Mayfield’s NFL regular-season debut was a successful, as he engineered four scoring drives in a 21-17 win over the Jets in front of the home faithful.

Prior to Mayfield entering last week’s game, the Browns’ offense sputtered through the first half, as Tyrod Taylor struggled to find any kind of a rhythm and completed just four of his 14 attempts for 19 yards before a concussion brought his night to a premature end.

After Taylor suffered the concussion in the first half, Mayfield came in and completed 17 of his 23 attempts for 201 yards and led the Browns to 21 of the final 24 points scored in the game, all of which combined to give Cleveland the come-from-behind win.

And Mayfield is not changing up his mindset for the Week 4 game at the Raiders.

“My job is to get the ball in their hands,” Mayfield said. “That’s how they look better. They’re doing their job. That’s what they’re paid to do is make plays, so that’s what I want to do, get the ball in their hands and make them [look good]. They’re the playmakers, so I just always had that mentality, let them do the work and I just get my job done.”

Credit: Kirby Lee
General overall view of the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum during a NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders in Oakland, California.

HANDLING THE ROAD

Admittedly, the Raiders have one of the “most notorious fan bases” in the NFL, and those clad in silver and black have been known to create a raucous atmosphere, especially for opposing quarterbacks, but Mayfield embraces the opportunity to lead the Browns into California for today’s game.

“Anytime you play on the road, it’s a great opportunity to see what your team is made of,” Mayfield said. “It’s kinda [like] your back’s against the wall.

“It’s just your team, just the team you bring, you travel with, and so, it’s always exciting with that, but then, you add in the perspective of ‘The Black Hole.’ It’s a hostile environment. You want to see how your team is going to react. You want to see how you battle adversity, how you take on the challenge, so I’m very excited about this opportunity.”

Credit: David Dermer
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) is congratulated by defensive back Derrick Kindred (26) after sacking New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first half of a game at FirstEnergy Stadium.

D-LINE PLAY

By working with him at the 2017 Senior Bowl, the Browns learned the kind of worker defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi was when it came to perfecting his craft on the football field.

And just three games into the 2018 season, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound Ogunjobi is well on his way to proving the kind of player he can be, as he is already approaching single-season career bests in tackles, solo stops and assists, and has surpassed his sacks total from 2017.

“It is everything,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said of Ogunjobi’s ability to set a tone up front. “I think that is how you make it go. You have to worry about him there, which I think gives Myles (Garrett) flexibility or you have to worry about Myles and it gives him flexibility. Hopefully, our guys can keep growing.”

Credit: Joe Robbins
The NFL's senior vice president of officiating said Monday that Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett should not have been penalized for roughing the passer on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Sunday's 21-21 tie.

Second-year defensive end Myles Garrett leads the way for those negative plays, as he has registered four sacks in three games this season, including two takedowns against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the regular-season opener.

Garrett is tied with New Orleans defensive lineman Cameron Jordan, as well as linebackers Khalil Mack (Chicago) and Von Miller (Denver) for the most sacks in the league.

Also, Garrett ranks tied for second with his teammate, defensive back Terrance Mitchell, for the most forced fumbles in the league over the first three weeks of the season.

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