Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns, Week 5: AFC Teams Eye Fourth Win in a Row

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns are both trying to sustain momentum on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Colts and their No. 1-ranked defense have limited opponents to 11 points or less in a three-game winning streak. The Browns and a Baker Mayfield-led offense have scored 118 points in winning three in a row.

Here’s all you need to know about Colts-Browns.

Broadcast Information

— Sunday, Oct. 11, at 4:25 p.m. (EDT)

— Cleveland, FirstEnergy Field

— TV: CBS-4, Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (color)

— To find out what games will be on in your area, check here

— Radio: WFNI 1070-AM The Fan, WLHK 97.1 HANK-FM — Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (color), Larra Overton (sideline), Bill Brooks (pregame/postgame analyst) | Sports USA Radio — Josh Appel (play-by-play), Brandon Noble (color)

All-Time Series

— Colts lead, 17-16 (2-2 in playoffs). The Colts have won three in a row.

— Last game, Week 3, 2017. Colts won, 31-28.

Coaches

Colts: head coach Frank Reich; offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni; defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, special teams Bubba Ventrone.

Browns: head coach Kevin Stefanski; offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt; defensive coordinator Joe Woods; special teams Mike Preifer.

Last Week

Colts won at Chicago Bears, 19-11

Browns won at Dallas Cowboys, 49-38

Injury Reports

Colts

— OUT: LB Darius Leonard (groin); LT Anthony Castonzo (rib)

— QUESTIONABLE: LB Anthony Walker (ankle)

Browns

— OUT: LB Tae Davis (elbow); DT Larry Ogunjobi (Abdomen), CB Greedy Williams

— QUESTIONABLE: S Karl Joseph (hamstring); DE Adrian Clayborn (hip)

Storylines/Things to Watch

— Offense Starts on Ground: While both teams pride themselves on rushing, the Browns are the NFL’s best at 204.5 yards per game and 5.88 yards per carry. Leading rusher Nick Chubb was placed on injured reserve with an MCL injury, which means Kareem Hunt becomes the starter. Hunt has 275 yards rushing on 50 carries, 5.5 yards per carry, with three TDs. The Colts are tied for 15th in rushing at 115.3 yards per game and rank dead last in 32nd at 3.52 yards per carry. Rookie Jonathan Taylor leads the Colts with 250 yards rushing on 65 carries, 3.8 yards per carry, with two TDs.

— Great Offense vs. Great Defense: The Browns are scoring 31 points per game, which is the best in the AFC and would be the highest in team history for a season. For the first time since 1968, the Browns have scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games. The Colts defense is No. 1 in several categories, including fewest points allowed at 14 per game, fewest total yards at 236.3 per game, and fewest plays of 20-plus yards allowed at 10.

— Turnovers Are Key: The Browns lead the league at +6 in turnover differential and have an NFL-best 10 takeaways and 45 points scored off takeaways. The Colts are fifth in turnover differential at +4, and are tied for fifth with seven takeaways. The Colts have seven interceptions, which leads the league.

Intriguing Matchups

— Colts DT DeForest Buckner vs. Browns RG Wyatt Teller: Opponents that have tried to block Buckner with a single man typically pay the price. The three-technique defensive tackle leads the Colts with eight quarterback hits and is third in tackles with 18. Teller might require some assistance in not allowing Buckner to be so disruptive.

— Colts RT Braden Smith/LT Le’Raven Clark vs. Browns LDE Myles Garrett: Expect Garrett to move around to take advantage of the Colts turning to backup Le’Raven Clark after veteran left offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo was ruled out with a rib injury. Clark has some experience, but he’s not Castonzo, which means he’ll need help when Garrett is rushing on his side. Garrett leads the league with five sacks and has a strip-sack in each of the past three games. Smith is reliable, but has had trouble in the past with elite pass-rushers.

— Colts CB Xavier Rhodes vs. Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr: Rhodes shut down Beckham in a 2016 meeting on Monday Night Football as the receiver caught a career-low three passes for 23 yards. The showdown was physical from the start with both players taking extra shots at the other. Beckham was flagged for taunting. He undoubtedly hasn’t forgotten. Beckham is coming off a three-TD game in which he scored on two receptions and a 50-yard rush.

Projected Weather

— Cloudy, slight chance of rain showers, temperature in the high 60s, wind from the ENE at 10-20 mph.

Referee Assignment

— Head referee: Scott Novak (18 years). Click here to see all referee assignments for Week 5.

Betting Lines

— Favorite: Browns (-1)

— Over/Under: 48.5

2020 Season Leaders

Colts

— Passing: QB Philip Rivers (984 yards)

— Rushing: RB Jonathan Taylor (250 yards)

— Receiving: TE Mo Alie-Cox (194 yards)

— Touchdowns: RB Nyheim Hines, RB Jonathan Taylor, TE Mo Alie-Cox (2)

— Tackles: LB Darius Leonard (27)

— Sacks: DE Justin Houston (3.5)

— Interceptions: CB T.J. Carrie, CB Xavier Rhodes (2)

Browns

— Passing: QB Baker Mayfield (729 yards)

— Rushing: RB Nick Chubb (335 yards)

— Receiving: WR Odell Beckham Jr. (236 yards)

— Touchdowns: RB Kareem Hunt (5)

— Tackles: LB B.J. Goodson (27)

— Sacks: DE Myles Garrett (5)

— Interceptions: LB B.J. Goodson, S Karl Joseph, LB Malcolm Smith, CB Denzel Ward (1)

Comparing 2020 Stats

Colts

— Total offense: 21st (360.3 YPG)

— Scoring: 17th (25.8 PPG)

— Passing offense: 18th (245 YPG)

— Sacks allowed: 3rd (4)

— Rushing offense: T15th (115.3 YPG)

— Third down offense: 30th (34.62%)

— Red zone offense: 28th (46.67%)

— Total defense: 1st (236.3 YPG)

— Scoring defense: 1st (14 PPG)

— Passing defense: 1st (159.3 YPG)

— Sacks: T11th (10)

— Rushing defense: 4th (77 YPG)

— Third down defense: 1st (31.1%)

— Red zone defense: 19th (62.5%)

— Time of possession: 2nd (33:36)

— Turnover differential: 5th (+4)

Browns

— Total offense: 13th (387 YPG)

— Scoring: 4th (31 PPG)

— Passing offense: 30th (182.5 YPG)

— Sacks allowed: T7th (6)

— Rushing offense: 1st (204.5 YPG)

— Third down offense: T20th (40%)

— Red zone offense: T2 (80%)

— Total defense: 25th (402.3 YPG)

— Scoring defense: T28th (31.5 PPG)

— Passing defense: 30th (310.5 YPG)

— Sacks: T8th (11)

— Rushing defense: 5th (91.8 YPG)

— Third down defense: 26th (49.02%)

— Red zone defense: T25th (75%)

— Time of possession: 13th (30:52)

— Turnover differential: 1st (+6)

Notes

— Colts quarterback Philip Rivers needs four pass completions to become just the fifth player in NFL history to hit 5,000 in his career. Rivers needs one game with 400-plus passing yards to tie Ben Roethlisberger (12) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history.

— Colts running back Nyheim Hines needs four receptions to tie Joe Washington (127) for the third-most receptions by a Colts running back in their first three seasons in the NFL, which would also tie Washington for the 10th-most receptions by a Colts overall player in their first three seasons.

— Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton needs one reception to tie Marshall Faulk (77) for the sixth-longest streak of consecutive games with a reception in franchise history. He also needs one TD catch to pass Dallas Clark (46) for the 11th-most TDs in franchise history, and to tie Clark for the sixth-most receiving TDs. Hilton also needs one game with 10-plus receptions to pass Don McCauley, Lydell Mitchell, Anthony Johnson, Washington, and Clark (3) for the third-most such games in franchise history.

— Colts tight end Jack Doyle needs one TD to pass Ken Dilger (18) and tie Tom Mitchell and Dwayne Allen (19) for the fourth-most TDs by a tight end in franchise history.

— Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez needs one punt inside the 20-yard line to pass Chris Gardocki (80) for the fourth-most in franchise history.

— The Colts made the following roster moves this week: Signed CB Christian Angulo to practice squad; released WR Krishawn Hogan, TE Ethan Wolf from practice squad; signed LB Jonas Griffith to practice squad; signed LB Najee Goode to practice squad; released CB Christian Angulo from practice squad.

Catch Before The Game

— Who Will Indianapolis Colts Miss More on Sunday: Linebacker Darius Leonard or Offensive Left Tackle Anthony Castonzo?

— 2020 Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Week 5: Who Starts Sunday at Cleveland Browns?

— NFL Picks: Week 5

— Does Colts Quarterback Philip Rivers Expect the Need to Score More Against the Browns?

— Colts Killjoys or Fairly Focusing on Issues?

— Xavier Rhodes Knows From Experience Not to Let Odell Beckham Jr. Get in His Head

— Colts Defensive Tackle DeForest Buckner Makes PFF’s ‘Team of the Week’ Again

Looking for a podcast? Check out the Bleav in Colts Podcast on the Bleav Podcast Network.

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)