The Cleveland Browns are still searching for their first victory of the season, but at least they made things interesting last week. Hue Jackson knows his team will have an uphill battle just about every week and he reached into his bag of tricks to nearly pull out a win last Sunday. He didn’t get it, but you can bet that Jackson and the Browns will have plenty more up their sleeve when they visit the Washington Redskins for a Week 4 matchup.
Watch this regular season Week 4 matchup live on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at FedEx Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cleveland Browns +9.5
Washington Redskins -9.5
Over/Under 45.5
Odds Analysis
The Browns were a missed field goal away from winning outright in Miami as a 10-point dog. So it wasn’t surprising the see the line wagered down a half point to 9.5 immediately after the spread hit the board. And with the Redskins injury concerns on defense and inability to cover at home, we could see more movement. The total is inviting right now at 45.5 and has plenty of value. Both teams have struggled defensively and are a combined 5-1 playing the over this season. We could see that number spike in the coming days.
Injury Report
Josh McCown – The Browns backup-turned starter is expected to be out another few weeks with his shoulder injury leaving the quarterbacking chores to Cody Kessler. However, the injury forced Cleveland to experiment with its offensive structure and Terrelle Pryor emerged as a threat. Kessler fared well in his first start, throwing for 244 yards, and had a good grasp of the offense. The team signed veteran Charlie Whitehurst last week, but Kessler and Pryor are the options right now.
DeAngelo Hall – The Redskins have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL after three weeks and things might have gotten even worse. Hall left Sunday’s game with a knee injury and could be out for some time. On top of that, Bashaud Breeland also left with an ankle injury and his status is in question, leaving the Skins’ secondary in the hands of several inexperienced youngsters. Washington allowed 350 passing yards to Eli Manning last week, but recovered with two fourth quarter interceptions to steal a victory.
Matchup to Watch
Hand it to Jackson for some unconventional coaching methods that nearly earned his team a win. With his top two quarterbacks sidelined with injuries, Jackson turned to Kessler and a makeshift lineup to nearly pull off the upset. In the end, though, it was an all too familiar result for Browns’ fans. But at least Cleveland went down swinging and if not for a missed field goal at the end of regulation, the Browns would have had an improbable road win over the Dolphins after entering the game as a 10-point underdog.
Jackson pulled out all the gadgets, but specifically he used mega-talent Pryor in a variety of ways to spark his offense and keep Miami’s defense on its toes. The ploy worked. Pryor was all over the field throwing passes, running the football and making eight receptions for 144 yards. Jackson could have played it safe with Kessler but instead he showed that he’ll do whatever it takes for the underdog to come away with a win. “I didn’t come here to lose and I’m not going to change that. I’m not going to let our players feel like that,” he said.
Free ATS Pick
Washington may have saved its season with a win over the Giants on Sunday. Staring at a 0-3 after claiming the NFC East would have been a bad sign for Jay Gruden and his gang. The Skins came through thanks to their much-maligned defense, which sealed the win with a late interception. But the secondary took a major hit with Hall and Breeland injured. It’s a good thing the Browns don’t have the best passing attack in the league but you can expect them to take some shots.
The Browns should’ve had a victory over the Dolphins. Kicker Cody Parkey missed three field goals including a 46-yarder at the end of regulation that would have won it. But they didn’t and there are no moral victories in the NFL. The Browns are still figuring things out under Jackson and they may eventually. But with a defense that has that has that many holes, Kirk Cousins should put up big numbers again in a Redskins victory and the total of 45.5 looks very reachable.
NFL Odds: Redskins 30, Browns 23
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