The Browns are 3-7 and sorely need to avoid extending their losing streak to three games ahead of the Week 13 return of Deshaun Watson, while the Buccaneers are 5-5 and coming off a bye week. Stopping Tom Brady and the plethora of talent from Tampa Bay will be tough, but the Browns have the tools to get the job done.
Here's their path to victory:
Check out photos of players and coaches working to prepare for the teams regular season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Center Greg Mancz (65) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (97) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Offensive tackle Chris Hubbard (74) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (97) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Tight end Pharaoh Brown (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Offensive tackle Will Holden (62) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Defensive end Alex Wright (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Kellen Mond (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. (79) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Wide Receiver Michael Woods II (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Linebacker Jermaine Carter (40) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Defensive end Isaiah Thomas (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Center Greg Mancz (65) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Offensive Assistant Jonathan Decoster during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Offensive tackle Will Holden (62) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Safety Bubba Bolden (36) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Running back Kareem Hunt (27) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Assistant Athletic Trainer Gordon Williams during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Wide Receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (28) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Chief of Staff and Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Callie Brownson plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Kicker Cade York (3) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Cornerback A.J. Green (38) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Safety John Johnson III (43) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
A soccer ball after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (28) and Safety Grant Delpit (22) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (28) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
Linebacker Tony Fields II (42) plays soccer after practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on November 23, 2022.
1. Attain an early lead
This will be especially important in a game that will likely be impacted by inclement weather at FirstEnergy Stadium. With a strong chance of rain and high winds, both teams might not be able to generate much production by throwing the football, which means building and maintaining a lead will be even more important and could allow the Browns to stick to their run game.
Believe it or not, the Browns might actually prefer to force the Buccaneers to use Brady's arm. Cleveland has struggled stopping the run for most of the season and ranks 24th in the league in run defense, while Tampa Bay will be shifting their run game to a promising rookie RB in Rachaad White — he topped 100 rushing yards for the first time in his career in the Buccaneers' last game in Week 10. If Brady is throwing the ball, it'll likely be because the Browns have the lead, and the slick and windy conditions could make their jobs easier in defending the pass rather than the run.
2. Rekindle the run game
The Browns have struggled to generate much production with their own rushing attack in the two games since the bye week. Nick Chubb has 25 carries for 82 yards (3.2 yards per carry) in that stretch and is coming off a season-low 19 yards on 14 carries against the Bills.
The Buccaneers have been strong against the run of late — they've held opponents to 68 and 39 rushing yards in their last two games — but have allowed over 150 rushing yards four other times this season. The Browns might need to make that five games for their best shot to win. Doing so will require better offensive line play up front, where no linemen was given a higher overall grade of 70.0 from Pro Football Focus last week against Buffalo.
3. Avoid turnovers
Nathan Zegura has spotlighted turnovers in this section nearly every week of the season, and he's normally done so by saying the defense needs to grab them for the Browns to have their best chance to win. That point is still obviously true this week, but the Buccaneers are not a team prone to turning the ball over — they've committed just nine giveaways this season, the second-lowest mark in the league.
Instead, the focus should be on the offense to not turn the ball over and maximize time of possession. The Browns have 14 giveaways this year, which is tied for 10th in the league, and can't afford to give any extra possessions to Brady and Co. They're 0-7 when they lose the turnover battle this season, and any giveaways on their end could be extra costly against a Buccaneers offense that rarely loses the football.
