Eagles vs Browns: 5 key players to watch in the Sunday battle at the Linc

The Eagles are back in action after a bye week fueled by rumors of a disjointed locker room and a shaky relationship between Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts. The quarterback introduced the term “great moments” in a post-game press conference, with the head coach quick to address the tone of recent conversations.

Everything has been productive. Everything worked hard over the break. Everyone remains on the same page despite a 2-2 record.

“I always appreciate when guys work as hard as he did over the bye week,” Sirianni told reporters on October 11. “That’s what my mind was on, and that’s what his mind was on. We had a lot of good talks. Obviously, I’ll keep all those private. And I said this the other day, I just admire how guys worked during the bye week to keep going and just keep getting better. He spent so much time working at his game – resting his body but working at his game – and I admire that.”

Browns vs. Eagles Matchup: 5 Key Players to Watch

Sydney Brown

The second-year safety has been a full participant in practices all week after surgery last January to repair a torn ACL. He’s expected to make his season debut against Cleveland. Why is that significant? Because the Eagles are struggling in the secondary as Darius Slay continues to show signs of regression, in addition to the ongoing pursuit to find a legit nickel cornerback. C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been hit or miss. Avonte Maddox has looked slower and older. Meanwhile, Reed Blankenship is coming off a heat-related illness. It may be up Brown, alongside rookie hybrid Cooper DeJean, to bolster the defensive backs with a shot of adrenaline.

A.J. Brown

Pick your poison: A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith? Both stud receivers are slated to return from injury in Week 6, providing some much-needed firepower for Jalen Hurts. The Eagles have been relying on Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, and Parris Campbell to pick up the slack with predictably underwhelming results. No offense to Smith — he remains one of the most underrated playmakers in football — but Brown is the cinnamon stick in the chai. His late hands make him unguardable. His size makes him a nightmare to tackle. And his chemistry with Hurts is scientific.

Deshaun Watson

He has one of the worst contracts in NFL history, and his poor play is starting to cost his team games. Watson is averaging 4.8 yards per pass attempt, the worst rate for any quarterback since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. He has yet to pass for 200 yards in a game this season as calls for the Browns to bench him in favor of Jameis Winston mount. The pitchforks are out, spiked and hot. If the Eagles pass-rushers can’t get home against Watson, then they are out of excuses. Sack city or bust.

Bryce Huff

The marquee signing on the defensive side has been an utter bust. Huff hasn’t recorded a single sack or quarterback hit through the first four games, with only two tackles to boot. The $51.1 million pass rusher has been borderline unplayable, punctuated by his five missed tackles versus Tampa Bay. This might be his last chance to earn a permanent spot in the rotation before defensive coordinator Vic Fangio gives those snaps to rookie Jalyx Hunt.

Mekhi Becton

The former first-rounder was a revelation during Eagles’ training camp but the gospel has been a page-turner in the regular season. Becton, the new starter at right guard, was getting pushed around against Tampa Bay. It didn’t help that right tackle Lane Johnson was out in that one. Still, Becton needs to step up and assert dominance this week. He heads into the Browns’ matchup owning an abysmal 43.0 pass-blocking grade (via Pro Football Focus), with three sacks allowed and eight quarterback pressures. Not good.

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