Walk-Through Notes: What the Browns Must Do to Win in Indianapolis

The Browns will complete their walk-through on Saturday and put an end to the work week. Cleveland must do these things in order to win on Sunday.

Another NFL football weekend is underway. The Week 7 storylines are vast, but one looms large for the Cleveland Browns and that is to start a win streak. 

Since 2021, the Kevin Stefanski led Cleveland Browns are 3-13 coming off of a win. Rarely have they been able to stack wins and get on a roll. Sunday in Indianapolis is a really great place to change that narrative. 

Oct 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) runs with the ball after a catch as Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone (26) defends during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports  / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Get the Offense Going

Five games into this season and the Browns offense has been as inconsistent as it gets. A lot of that has been fueled by injuries and guys being in and out of the lineup. It is time to throw the excuses out the window and start rounding into form.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson took the practice field on Thursday and had work days on both Thursday and Friday. All signs point to him being a participant on Sunday afternoon. 

The Colts Defense is ranked 26th in the NFL in yards per game. They will be starting two rookie 7th-round cornerbacks on Sunday. It is time for this passing attack to explode.

Stop the Run

The Colts have a very good rushing attack led by Zach Moss who is 3rd in the NFL with 466 yards. He trails only Christian McCaffery and Travis Etienne.

This plays right into one of the Browns' strengths. If they can get another good game out of their defensive tackles, then stopping the run against this injured offensive line shouldn't be a problem.

Make Gardner Minshew Hold the Ball

The Colts do not have any deep vertical threats outside of Michael Pittman Jr. Because of that, Gardner Minshew gets the ball out of his hands incredibly quickly. He averages 3.5 air yards per attempt, the 11th fewest in the league of all quarterbacks who have completed a pass.

If you can get him off of his first read, it will allow the defensive line to get home and get him under pressure. When he is under pressure he will put the ball in danger and you will have the chance to turn him over.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (95) hurries Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew (10) during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts 37-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] :: [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

The Browns have a great opportunity on Sunday to build off this momentum and start a much-needed winning streak. In case you forgot, the Browns could find themselves in first place on Sunday afternoon. The first step, taking care of the Colts.