Cleveland Browns vs. Las Vegas Raiders Preview and Prediction

At 1-2 on the season Browns look to get back on track as they hit the road for a pivotal AFC matchup with the Raiders

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski reacts to a play during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns could use a get right game and just in the nick of time, here come the Las Vegas Raiders.

With news of Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams missing this game due to injury, a loss in the Sin City would be more embarrassing than any of the Browns two losses so far this season. The Raiders are a team largely in rebuild right now, with a young roster and a fluid QB situation headed up by Gardner Minshew at the moment.

The journeyman QB has found some success this season throwing the ball, with Las Vegas posting a top four passing attack through three games. They average 244 yards through the air, but conversely are the worst rushing team in the league. They're also one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, giving up more than 152 yards per game on the ground.

Browns safety Grant Delpit called this one a "must-win" for his team. It certainly feels that way from the outside looking in. Will Cleveland take care of business?

Anthony Moeglin: Browns 21, Raiders 10

Sunday is simply a must-win for the Cleveland Browns after an incredibly disappointing loss last week. Luck is on their side, as the Raiders will be down both Crosby and Adams and the Browns have to take advantage of the opportunity.

I think Kevin Stefanski and this offense are going to try and shrink the football game by leaning on the run game. I don’t think it is going to look pretty but it will be effective. Cleveland’s defense will slam the door and the offense will do enough to get back on that plane with a 2-2 record.

Cole McDaniel: Browns 23, Raiders 17

Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the Cleveland Browns at the moment, this team is still very much so in the race for the AFC North. The Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens are also struggling, while the Pittsburgh Steelers may have the toughest schedule in the second half of the year of any team.

After the loss to the Dallas Cowboys at home to open the season, the Browns played an excellent first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I expect the same type of scenario to play out. Cleveland lost to another NFC East opponent at home in the New York Giants and will play a clean first half against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Without Crosby and Adams, the task at hand of beating the Browns got a lot more difficult for the Raiders. Once again, Cleveland will not surpass 30 points but they do enough to win another low scoring game.

A 2-2 start to the year is certainly not the end of the world considering how bad the Browns have looked so far.

#Browns will be without several offensive players as they head to Las Vegas for Week 4: https://t.co/bApvstq95a

— 𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 (@Spencito_) September 27, 2024

Dylan Feltovich: Browns 17 , Raiders 14

Cleveland broke my streak of correct picks last week against the New York Giants, so it’s time to redeem myself this week.

On paper, this should be a win for the Browns. The Raiders are in the midst of a quarterback controversy after Minshew’s rough start against the Carolina Panthers. However, second year quarterback Aidan O’Connell looked good when he entered the game last week, going 9-for-12 with one touchdown.

In order for the Browns to pull out a victory on the road, the defense will need to step up and limit any sort of production to relieve pressure off of quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Spencer German: Browns 24, Raiders 12

Without Adams and Crosby playing in this one, the Raiders have absolutely no business winning this game. The only things that give me pause are the fact that their head coach, Antonio Pierce really leaned into them after last week and a desperate, challenged football team can be a scary thing.

There's also the context of what Minshew did against the Browns last year with Indianapolis, when he threw for 305 yards and scored four total touchdowns. This Raiders offense doesn't have the talent to help him though, particularly without Adams.

Meanwhile, this should be a get right game for the offense. Whether or not they put it all together feels like a big ask at this point but I'm reluctantly trusting they do enough to pull away from an inferior Raiders team.