CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns’ players and coaches returned to team headquarters in Berea Monday morning after their annual bye-week break and did so set to prepare for this week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first installment of “The Battle of Ohio” at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati Sunday.
Currently, the Browns are 3-6-1 and find themselves in fourth place in the AFC North Division. With defensive coordinator Gregg Williams now serving as interim coach, the Browns have compiled a 1-1 record with the one victory coming in a dominant 28-16 decision over the Atlanta Falcons on November 11.
Here is a look at three things to expect from the Browns over the final six games of the 2018 regular season.
MORE NICK CHUBB
More comfortable with his expanded role, Chubb has become a more productive back for the Browns, and certainly, showed that against the Falcons, where he broke free for a 92-yard touchdown, the longest rushing score in franchise history, and registered 176 yards on 20 carries.
Additionally, Chubb caught three passes for 33 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown reception.
Since Carlos Hyde’s trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars went through 48 hours ahead of a road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month, Chubb has become the Browns’ feature running back, rushing for 406 yards and three touchdowns on 78 carries, an average of 5.21 yards per attempt.
Along with the Pepsi Rookie of the Week Award, Chubb won FedEx Ground Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Falcons.
DEVELOPMENT FROM BAKER MAYFIELD
Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield has had great moments and struggles throughout his first seven NFL starts, but his latest performance was a memorable one.
Mayfield completed 17 of his 20 throws for 216 yards and a franchise rookie-record-tying three passing touchdowns against the Falcons. Mayfield completed 13 consecutive throws at the start of the game against the Falcons.
In leading the Browns to the victory, Mayfield moved up on the Browns’ all-time lists for passing touchdowns and passing yards by a first-year player.
Currently, Mayfield ranks third for the most passing touchdowns by a Browns rookie in a single season, as in just eight games, he has thrown for 13 scores, just two away from equaling the record set by another No. 1 overall pick, Tim Couch (15 in 1999).
Additionally, Mayfield has the fourth-most passing yards by a Browns rookie, as his completions have gone for 1,984 yards. Former first-round pick Brandon Weeden holds the record with 3,385 yards, which Mayfield is on pace to break by season’s end.
Mayfield completed 176 of his 285 attempts (61.8 percent) for 1,984 yards and 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions and two lost fumbles over his first eight NFL games.
MORE FORCED TURNOVERS
The Browns had one of the NFL’s most opportunistic defenses through the first 10 weeks of the season.
Heading into Sunday’s game against the Bengals, the Browns rank second in takeaways (25), tied for second in turnover differential (plus-12), first in fumble recoveries (12) and third in interceptions (13).
Although the Browns have proven adept at creating turnovers, the need to convert them into points is high. The Browns struggled to move to ball after most of their forced turnovers in the first 10 games, and will need to improve on that in order to win over the home stretch of the 2018 regular season.
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