Welcome to week 4 Browns fans. Sunday the Browns (1-2) travel to Allegiant Stadium to take on the 1-2 Las Vegas Raiders, game time is 3:25 CDT and as usual the ChicagoLand Browns Backers/Northside Dawg Pound will gather at Burke’s Public House 5401 N. Broadway to cheer the Browns to victory. Both teams come into the game with offenses that are struggling to establish any sort of consistency along with multiple injuries to some of their most important players. Last week the Raiders lost 36-22 to an 0-2 Carolina Panthers team that led the Raiders 27-7 entering the 4th quarter. While the Browns lost 21-15 to an 0-2 New York Giants team in a game that the Browns offense had 6 punts, 2 fumbles, 2 failed fourth down tries and 1 missed field goal. Sunday’s game will be a contest between 2 teams dealing with injuries to multiple Pro Bowl players with the Browns missing TE David Njoku and OT Jack Conklin and Miles Garrett playing with a significant foot injury while the Raiders will miss Pro Bowlers DE Maxx Crosby and WR Davante Adams. The Browns are currently 25th in scoring at 16.7 points per game and 31st in total offense gaining only 248 yards per game and 3.8 yards per play. The Raiders offense is only slightly better, scoring 19.3 points per game while gaining 295.7 yards per game and 5.0 yards per play. Both teams have leaned heavily on their passing attack with mixed results. The Raiders are throwing the ball on 69% of their offensive snaps which is tops in the league and despite completing 74% of their passes, they are 20th in yards gained per pass at 6.6 yards. The Browns are throwing it almost as often at 66.7% which is 2nd in the NFL, however they are averaging a league low 3.9 yards per pass and Deshaun Watson has been sacked on 12% of his pass attempts, the third highest rate in the NFL. Las Vegas has had all kinds of problems running the football averaging a paltry 2.8 yards per carry and 51 rushing yards per game. One huge difference between the two teams are penalties with the Raiders averaging a league low 3.7 penalties per game while the Browns’ 9.7 penalties per game is second most in the NFL. The Raiders offense is led by 6-year veteran QB Gardner Minshew who last season while playing for the Colts threw for 2 TD’s, rushed for 2 TD’s with 1 interception and 3 fumbles in a 38-39 loss to the Browns. So far this season Minshew has thrown for 3 TDs against 3 interceptions with 11 sacks, his 92.4 QB rating is 18th among starting QBs. Minshew’s passing game will present a severe test for the Browns safeties and linebackers as he’s completing 83% of his passes thrown between the hash marks with 75% of his passes going for 10 yards or less. With his Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams ruled out for the game it’s expected that Minshew will lean heavily on rookie TE Brock Bowers who’s caught 18 of 20 passes thrown to him (90%) for 10.9 yards per reception. Minshew’s other receiving weapons are WR’s Jakobi Meyers, 14 receptions for 10.9 yards per catch with 1 TD and Tre Tucker 11 receptions for 11.9 yards per catch with 1 TD. Browns fans will recognize back-up TE Harrison Bryant who spent 4 seasons with the Browns before signing with Las Vegas this season. The Raiders’ running game is led by RB Zamir White who’s averaging 3.3 yards per rush and short yardage back Alexander Mattison who’s run for 2 TD’s on just 12 carries. The Raiders offensive line has zero penalties in 3 games unlike the Browns O-line with OT Dewand Jones and C Ehtan Pocic each flagged for 3 penalties. The Browns will undoubtedly look to target OT Kolton Miller who’s allowed 5 sacks in 3 games. The Raiders defense is arguably the worse that the Browns have faced this season, they are 28th in scoring defense giving up 27 points per game and 30th in total defense allowing 378.7 yards per game and 6.1 yards per play. They are also last in the league in rushing defense giving up 5.4 yards per carry. Las Vegas’ passing defense isn’t much better allowing opponents to complete 66% of their passes averaging 7 yards per catch while collecting only 6 sacks in 3 games. Injured DE Maxx Crosby has 3 of those sacks while no other Raider has more than 1 sack. The Raiders 2 starting DE have combined for zero sacks and only 4 QB pressures with DE Janarius Robinson ranked 103rd out of 105 ranked DE’s by Pro Football Focus (PFF). Las Vegas has 2 really good linebackers in Luke Masterson who last season had a PFF grade of 86.9 and Robert Spillane who’s currently 6th in solo tackles in the NFL. If the Browns offensive line can keep Deshaun Watson clean, he and WR’s Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy should be able to take advantage of Raider CB’s Jakorian Bennett who’s ranked last among CB’s by PFF and Jack Jones who’s given up 2 TD’s and has an opposing QB rating of 126. I know its only the 4th game of the season, but if the Browns want to make the playoffs they definitely don’t want the season go 1-3 in their first 4 games. See you Sunday. GO BROWN…..GO GUARDIANS