Eagles-Browns player matchups in Week 6

The Eagles (2-2) return from their bye week to host the Cleveland Browns (1-4) at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Here are some key matchups to watch:

Eagles receivers vs. Browns’ depleted secondary

The Eagles expect the return of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith this week. This is obviously a huge boost for an offense that needs it. Brown missed the last three games with a hamstring injury and Smith missed the Buccaneers game with a concussion. Without them, this offense simply lacked power. The Eagles start almost every week feeling like they have an advantage with their top wideouts over the other team’s corners, and that’s no different with the Browns.

Especially if Denzel Ward can’t play. The Browns’ Pro Bowl cornerback had to leave Cleveland’s Week 5 game with a hamstring injury. So that’s something to keep an eye on before the weekend. The Browns will also have a young safety duo in this game with D’Anthony Bell and Ronnie Hickman as well as veteran and former Eagles safety Rodney McLeod. They’ve been without Juan Thornhill since Week 2 with a calf injury, and then Grant Delpit suffered a concussion. McLeod suffered a laceration to his face during the Browns’ loss to the Commanders in Week 5, but was able to return to the game.

Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson vs. Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith

The Browns are just not a very good team right now, having lost their last three games. But they have two very good edge rushers, one of whom is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Garrett dealt with some injuries early this season, but the five-time Pro Bowler was able to play through them and has 4 sacks, 8 QB hits and 4 TFLs in 5 games. So it’s not like these injuries really slowed him down. Garrett has played a lot more on the right side of the Browns’ defensive line this season, which means a matchup against Mailata. The Eagles’ veteran left tackle is playing extremely well in 2024. Mailata has given up just 1 sack and 7 hurries in 163 pass blocking snaps this season. According to PFF, he is the third-best tackle in the NFL this season, behind only Terron Armstead and Trent Williams. Mailata has never met Garrett in a game, but he has spent time with him during and after joint practices in 2022 and 2023.

Who does PFF rank as the fourth-best tackle in the NFL? His teammate Lane Johnson. While Johnson missed the Bucs game in Week 4 due to a concussion, he was his usual All-Pro self this season. PFF didn’t put a single pressure on him in 92 pass-blocking snaps this season. In this game he will primarily face 32-year-old veteran Smith, who has 3 sacks in 5 games after having 5 1/2 in 16 games last season.

Saquon Barkley vs. poor run defense

So far this season, Barkley has accomplished everything the Eagles expected of him. Through four games, Barkley has 435 rushing yards and an average of 6.0 yards per carry. He’s a true all-rounder and the Eagles relied on him early this season. This could be another chance for him to shine on Sunday.

The Browns have given up 708 rushing yards in five games this season and are giving up 5.0 yards per attempt, which ranks them 29th in the NFL. Against the Commanders in Week 5, they rushed for a season-high 215 yards. And they give up playing on the ground. They have given up 23 runs of 10 yards this season, which is the second most of any team in the NFL. They’ve also given up 1.08 rushing yards per carry above expectations this season – Barkley performed fantastically in 2024 by adding extra yards.

The Eagles pass rush against the depleted Browns offensive line

The Browns have given up an NFL-high 26 sacks and lead the league with a sack rate of 12.8%. DeShaun Watson was pressured on 40.5% of his dropbacks in 2024, third in the league behind Jacoby Brissett (50%) and Will Levis (45.9%).

Some of the pressure is certainly on Wastson, but he’s also playing behind an offensive line that has struggled with injuries and been pretty poor. Jedrick Wills returned to action in Week 5 after missing some time, but center Ethan Pocic (knee) was injured in that game and right tackle Jack Conklin (hamstring) also missed time recently.

Overall, the Browns have given up a total of 88 pressures this season. Four different players gave up double figures:

C Ethan Pocic: 17

T James Hudson: 15

T Dawand Jones: 15

G Joel Bitonio: 13

If Conklin isn’t back for this game, Jones will be the starter at right tackle again. This is a problem for Cleveland. According to PFF, Jones ranks 70th out of 78 qualified tackles in the NFL.

Could this be the game where Bryce Huff finally makes an impact? Could this be the game where the Eagles’ pass rush finally falls victim to a quarterback? It’s very possible. But if that doesn’t happen, there’s a big problem.

Eagles lead defense against Jerome Ford

The Browns’ passing attack has been a mess, but it’s not like they run the ball very well either. Nick Chubb, who suffered a serious injury in Week 2 last season, is close to returning. But he hasn’t played in over a calendar year. Even if it’s the game he comes back in, it’s probably not fair to have high expectations.

As a team, the Browns average just 96.6 yards per game, which is 27th in the league. They are middle of the pack in EPA per rushing play (18th). Jerome Ford was solid. Without Chubb, their top rusher was Ford, who rushed for 250 yards on 48 attempts (5.2) and ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing EPA but 26th in completion percentage.

The Eagles have struggled against the run this season, so this is a chance for them to get some stops. They have given up 5.0 yards per carry this season, which ranks 28th in the NFL.

Deshaun Watson vs. Expectations

There’s no getting around it – Watson was bad. The Browns went all-in on Watson a few years ago and it’s a complete disaster. If they hadn’t paid him a $230 million deal, Watson would probably be on the bench right now.

Watson, once a three-time Pro Bowler, looks like a shell of his former self. In five games this year, Watson has completed just 60.2 percent of his passes for 842 yards with 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and posted a passer rating of 74.8, the lowest of his career. He hasn’t had a passer rating above 85 in 2022, 2023 or now 2024 with the Browns after being above 100 in three of his first four seasons in the NFL.

Watson’s EPA/dropback this season is 31st out of 32 starting quarterbacks. The only man below him is Will Levis of Tennessee.

Eagles-Browns player matchups in Week 6 – NBC Sports Philadelphia

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