An Autumn Sunday without the Cleveland Browns feels so empty. Neither college football nor fall chores can fill the void this weekend. The only thing that can even begin to scratch the itch more professional football. This bye week, I examined the Week 5 schedule to identify the five best games to watch on Sunday when missing the Browns. Unfortunately, Sunday’s slate doesn’t seem to boast many exciting matchups. There is, however, a divisional matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals.
When compiling the list of five games, I excluded the Buffalo Bills Jacksonville Jaguars game played in London. My primary focus was on games outside prime periods, aiming to spotlight teams the Browns will encounter later in the season—an introduction for our fans. Consequently, the list features our familiar foes in the AFC North and our future opponents in the NFC West. Rest assured, I’m not solely recommending low-scoring smash-mouth games.
Buy Browns TicketsWhile that’s my preferred style of football to watch, I understand the importance for us fans to witness good quarterbacks in action for once. I made it a point to highlight what Vegas deems the highest-scoring game this weekend. Without further ado, here’s a watch guide to the NFL’s five biggest games on Sunday.
Steelers vs. Ravens 1 P.M.
The Cleveland Browns are third in the division after losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens this season. While the Browns have to wait a month for their shot at revenge, we can spend this weekend watching our two hated rivals knock the snot out of each other at 1 P.M. on Sunday.
Outside of a giant meteor strike, there’s no obvious rooting interest for us Browns fans. If the Ravens beat the Steelers, the Browns will be second in the division with a half-game advantage over the Steelers. If the Steelers beat the Ravens, the Ravens’ lead over the division gets smaller. With the NFL regular season continuing for another 12 weeks following Sunday, the Browns will have plenty of time to catch up in the AFC North no matter who wins.
It felt like Lamar hasn't played the Steelers in a while and it's bc that's true. How is this even possible? Lamar has started only 3 games in his entire career vs PIT?? He has missed 12 gms since he became the starter and 5 have been v PIT? When he faced PIT in 2019 & 2020 the…
— Clevta (@Clevta) October 5, 2023
It’s hard to believe that Lamar Jackson hasn’t started a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers since December 2021. The former MVP will have his work cut out for him against a disciplined Steelers defense. Hopefully, we’ll get to see a classic AFC North game where these two juggernauts beat the tar out of each other instead of the Browns.
Bengals at Cardinals 4:05 P.M.
If someone told me I would be interested in a Cardinals game two months ago, I would’ve laughed in their face. Despite losing their star quarterback, the Cardinals have looked competent on offense this season. The primary reasons for the Cardinals’ offensive success lie with two former members of the Browns.
Drew Petzing, the new offensive coordinator of the Cardinals, was the Browns’ quarterback coach last season, after spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the Browns’ tight end coach. Petzing helped orchestrate a trade that sent Browns’ backup Josh Dobbs to the Cardinals for a fifth round pick in August. Together again, the former Browns duo has put together a fun and diverse offensive system. In the clip below, the Cardinals run a waggle protection on the play-action pass. A waggle protection refers to pulling an offensive lineman in front of the quarterback on play-action. It’s a classic protection scheme that is returning to the NFL as an effective change-up to traditional and bootleg play-action passes, as it gives the quarterback more protection.
Because the Cardinals have such an effective run game, their play action passing game has been able to generate explosive plays. pic.twitter.com/QgCfeAlKsE
— mike (@bengals_sans) October 5, 2023
The Cardinals’ offense is a lot of fun, and members of the media are beginning to hype up Petzing as a head coaching candidate. As for the Bengals, I wish I could say their passing attack is fun. The Bengals’ passing attack looks completely uninspired behind an injured Joe Burrow. Burrow, who is usually level-headed and accurate, looks frazzled behind the Bengals’ porous offensive line.
Burrow is getting rid of the ball quicker than ever, trying to force the football into tiny windows attached to the sideline. In his current state, he looks more erratic, and the Bengals are paying for it. They are 1-3 to start the season, and every week there are more people openly questioning if Burrow should heal from the bench.
Tune in on Sunday to see what happens when two trains wreck into each other.
Rams vs. Eagles 4:05 P.M.
The Philadelphia Eagles vs the LA Rams could easily be the best game of the week. The Eagles are once again the most talented team in the NFC. While the margins for improvement are extremely small in the NFL’s highest echelon, the Eagles surpassed their team last year with the addition of first-round pick Jalen Carter.
The 10th overall pick made his presence felt immediately. The rookie defensive tackle is rivaling Aaron Donald’s production so far. This will be a good opportunity to watch the future defensive rookie of the year as they go against two of the best offensive minds in the NFL.
Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford have a depleted Rams roster rolling right now. Stafford looks like the perfect gunslinger this season. He is dealing, working in every area of the field. He is doing his best work in high-low passing concepts, where he can rip a deep ball. The main benefactor is rookie Puka Nacua who has over 500 yards in the first four games.
The Rams might have created their next star wide receiver. Their star wide receiver Cooper Kupp is making his return against the Eagles, and Kupp is not on a snap count. This game between the Eagles and Rams will be a great matchup between two future playoff teams.
If you haven’t watched the Rams, our future opponent, this season, this is a great opportunity. It’s going to be a great chess match to watch.
Vikings vs. Chiefs 4:25 P.M.
If you want to watch fireworks, this is the game for you. There’s no real Browns’ angle to explore in this game, so I’ll keep it short. The game should be a high-scoring affair as the Vikings have a pitiful defense that won’t stand much of a challenge against an anemic Chiefs offense.
The Vikings’ offense is thriving as the team is focused on getting Justin Jefferson the ball. Justin Jefferson is on pace to have the greatest season for a wide receiver in NFL history. He is something to witness this year. The two dynamic offenses make this game a must-watch.
49ers vs. Cowboys 8:20 P.M.
I didn’t want to add prime-time games to the list as I assumed that the game was already a must-watch. However, I made an exception for the San Francisco 49ers who the Browns will play against next week. This is a good opportunity for Browns fans to get to know the opponent.
The matchup between the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys will showcase the playstyles of the two NFC teams. The 49ers are a patient team on offense and defense, they prefer long and methodical drives than risk the blowback from explosive plays. The 49ers can create explosive plays on offense by getting the ball to their playmakers in space. Running back Christian McCaffrey looks like a potential MVP winner this season. Their offensive weapons are All-Pros who are threats to score from anywhere. Quarterback Brock Purdy does an admirable job delivering accurate passes to his playmakers in the rhythm of the offense. His ability to stay on tempo with the offense is what makes the team so dangerous.
On defense, the 49ers have seemingly mastered fitting the run from two high shells. Their coverage principles allow them to put a lid on top of opposing offenses. The 49ers’ defense wants teams to get rid of the ball quickly for short gains. They want their defenders to swarm the ball carrier and cut short any intermediate gain. It works well for their defense. The Cowboys will welcome the challenge for five yards. Cowboys’ Head Coach Mike McCarthy has converted a dynamic Cowboys offense into an old-school West Coast-style offense built on quick passes. Quarterback Dak Prescott has turned into a conductor and has this offense singing. Prescott is making all the right decisions on time. The Cowboys have the sixth-highest expected points added per play under Prescott’s control.
The teams have complementary styles, and as the axiom states “Styles make fights”. This will be a great game to watch. It truly deserves its position as top billing on Sunday. As the Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens said, “Get your popcorn ready.”
