Baltimore Ravens

Behind Enemy Lines: Bolt Beat speaks with Dawg Pound Daily

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:17 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Travis Wakeman/FanSided via Bolt Beat

Oct 4, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (34) sprints down the sideline as he is chased by San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram (54) on his way to a 32-yard gain in the third quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

With the 2016 NFL season winding down, the San Diego Chargers find themselves in Cleveland for a game in which many fans around the league will consider meaningless. However, the Chargers must avoid being the only team to lose to the Browns this season.

As a result, there is still something to play for and if there’s one thing we can all say about this Chargers team this season, they’ve played as well as could be expected considering all of the adversity they have faced.

But the Browns still have something to play for as well. They don’t want to go 0-16 and with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the docket in Week 17, this is likely their last chance to avoid doing just that.

That makes the Browns a dangerous opponent.

To get more insight into this opponent, I spoke with Thomas Moore of Dawg Pound Daily. Make sure to click the link to see the answers I gave to his questions.

Dec 11, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Daryl Worley (26) breaks up a pass intended for San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Q: “Which player on the Chargers roster do you feel the Browns should be most aware of in this game?”

Thomas Moore: “That would be a tie between tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry, who have combined for 72 receptions, 834 yards and  2 touchdowns this season. The Browns struggle to contain even average tight ends, so a talented duo like Gates and Henry should have a nice day on Saturday.”

Dec 11, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman (19) runs with the ball after a catch as Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick (27) defends during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Bengals won 23-10. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Q: “The Browns sit at 0-14. Are there are any positives that can be taken from this season for the team?”

Moore: “Definitely. They had a solid foundational draft last spring and Emmanuel Ogbah, the team’s second-round pick, has been coming along nicely. Wide receiver Corey Coleman has struggled with a broken hand and is frustrated over the quarterback situation, but has shown flashes of what he can be. Danny Shelton has also played his way into the conversation as one of the game’s best nose tackles in his second season, which is part of why linebacker Christian Kirksey has been able to take his game to a new level. It is hard to see at times because everything is painted with the 0-14 brush, but the Browns have some pieces to build on for the future.”

Dec 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws a pass against the Oakland Raiders in the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Q: “If you were on the Browns’ coaching staff, how would you game plan the Chargers on the offensive side of the ball? How would you attack the San Diego defense?”

Moore: “With running back Melvin Gordon out with an injury, just sell out to stop the pass and hope for the best. The Browns defense struggles in every facet of the game, so there isn’t much they can really do to slow down opposing offenses at this point.

For the Browns on offense, it is pretty much the same story. Robert Griffin III is done as a starting quarterback in this league, so the Browns should really look to run the ball as much as possible. But the Chargers come into the game with the league’s ninth-best rushing defense, and head coach Hue Jackson has been reluctant or stubborn, depending on your perspective, to embrace the run game this season.

So, to answer the question, keep doing what you’ve been doing and hope for a different result.”

Nov 20, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor (21) during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Q: “Give us an under-the-radar member of the Browns that you feel will have an impact on this game.”

Moore: “That is a tough one, but let’s go with cornerback Jamar Taylor, who came over to the Browns from Miami in a draft-day trade. Thanks to a combination of injuries and age, Taylor has turned himself into the Browns best cornerback this season.”

Dec 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis (left) and San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos pose during a NFL football game at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Q: ” As a fan of the Browns, a team that relocated following the 1995 season, can you give fans of the Chargers any advice on how to stay positive and/or possibly find a different team to root for? If you were a Chargers fan, would you follow the team to LA?”

Moore: “That is a tough one since the NFL announced relatively quickly that the Browns would return in 1999 as an expansion team, a scenario that seems unlikely to repeat itself in San Diego. Knowing that Cleveland would return to the NFL gave Browns fans (or at least this Browns fan) a three-year window to root against teams (namely the Baltimore Ravens) rather than find a new team to root for.

In the case of the Chargers moving to Los Angeles, it is a three-plus hour drive between the cities, which is certainly doable as a fan, but that could be a lot to ask. The Chargers will be Los Angeles’ team, not San Diego’s (at least so much as anyone in L.A. cares about football in the first place), and if the rumors of a rebranding are true, may not even take the Charger name with them. That would make it very tough as a fan to continue supporting the team.”

Q: “Tell us how this one goes down. Do the Browns win their first game of the year?”

Moore: “If it was going to happen today would seem to be the day for it. The Chargers have to come all the way east to play on Christmas Eve, the stadium will probably only be about a third full, so you could see things not going San Diego’s way.

But the Browns, especially on offense, are just having all kinds of problems right now. The defense can’t keep anyone out of the end zone and the offense can barely score 10 points a game — a deadly combination if there ever was one. 

Even given the circumstances, the Chargers should be able to do enough to walk off the field as winners. San Diego 31, Cleveland 10.”

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