Cleveland Must Protect Against "Trap Game" In Indianapolis

The Browns need to be on alert this Sunday not to fall into a classic trap game against short-handed Indianapolis.

Tuesday's day off in Berea means the Cleveland Browns officially closed the book on the San Francisco win and they are back to work preparing for Indianapolis.

The Browns look like the kind of team capable of beating anybody because their defense is playing so well, and they're about to compete against an under-manned team that doesn't have their starting quarterback leading the way.

Sound familiar?

Sunday is a textbook trap game for Cleveland and they have to keep focused during this week of preparation. The Browns are coming off an incredibly emotional victory, they've been the talk of the NFL for a couple days and they have a huge game looming in two weeks in Seattle.

Oct 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks up from his play sheet against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Indianapolis is fresh off of its worst loss of the season in Jacksonville, falling 37-20. Not only were the Colts beaten soundly on Sunday, they are bruised as well. The headliner is that they're down their quarterback Anthony Richardson, meaning that Gardner Minshew will start in his place.

Even though they do not look the part, the Colts still have plenty of ability to win. Their three victories include wins over Houston, Baltimore, and Tennessee. 

One matchup to keep your eye on is Michael Pittman Jr. versus the Cleveland secondary. Pittman stands at 6-foot-4 and has the ability to run past defenders and go up over them. He has the skill level to single-handedly keep the Colts in the game.

On the year, he is currently ranked 16th in the league with 406 receiving yards and one score. Expect a mix of MJ Emerson and Denzel Ward to track Pittman Jr. all afternoon. 

It is important to note that the Colts beat Baltimore with Gardner Minshew playing quarterback, exactly what the Browns are expecting to see on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew (10) is flushed from the pocket during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts 37-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Simply put, this is a trap scenario and the Browns cannot look past Indianapolis or they're going to find themselves feeling the same way the 49ers did last weekend.

The Browns stand at 3-2, which is mission accomplished for the first "quarter" of the season. Looking forward to the next four games, the goal should be 3-1 at the very least. They travel to Indianapolis, Seattle and Baltimore with a home game against Arizona mixed in. If Cleveland can get three wins, they will set themselves up very nicely entering the back half of the season. 

The message inside the building this week is to not take the Colts lightly. The Browns should be the better team on Sunday and they need to come out and play like it at Lucas Oil Stadium.