Will the clock strike midnight in Seattle for P.J. Walker?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
SEATTLE, WA
Four downs on Browns (4-2) v. Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
First down: Just call him Phil.
When Bubba Ventrone joined the Indianapolis Colts as special teams coordinator in 2018, he tabbed a quarterback biding time on the practice squad named Phillip Walker as his scout team kick returner. “I called him Phil,” Ventrone recalled. Most everyone else called him P.J. Two weeks ago, Ventrone showed video of Walker returning kicks to loosen up a special teams meeting. Walker, who wasn’t in the Browns plans until they traded Josh Dobbs for a kicking tee in late August, made his Browns debut at quarterback against the San Francisco 49ers the next day. He threw five incomplete passes on his final drive (two were erased by defensive penalties), almost having the last one intercepted in the end zone, before Dustin Hopkins kicked a 29-yard field goal for the winning points in a 19-17 triumph over the 49ers. The following week, Walker relieved injured starter Deshaun Watson in the first quarter. On Walker’s final drive, he was 3 for 8 for 56 yards (two defensive penalties again helped the cause) before a Kareem Hunt 1-yard touchdown push over the goal line plane gave the Browns a 39-38 win over the Colts. So P.J. Walker has become the Browns’ version of Brock Purdy, San Francisco’s “Mr. Irrelevant.” Walker wasn’t even drafted and parlayed a five-game stint with the Houston Roughnecks of the defunct XFL into a future roster spot with the Carolina Panthers. “Some people say it’s a clutch gene. Maybe he has it,” said receiver Amari Cooper. According to NextGen Stats, Walker ranks 35th in the NFL among quarterbacks with a passer rating of 48.2. The next-best is Daniel Jones at 71.7. In his two outings, Walker has completed 50 percent of his passes, tossed three interceptions and fumbled twice (one erased by penalty). Yet when Walker takes the field Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, he will do so with a 2-0 record. The good news is that this was the first week Walker took all the practice reps with the first-team offense.
P.J. Walker tries to keep alive his storybook run as Browns emergency QB. (Cleveland Browns)
Second down: Seattle’s 12th man.
The Browns haven’t won a game in Seattle since 1989 in the concrete mausoleum known as the Kingdome. That’s their second longest drought on the road. (Believe it or not, they haven’t won in Detroit since 1983.) They’re not alone in losing in the Pacific Northwest. Since 2010, the Seahawks are 74-34 at home – fifth-best in the NFL. Teams have trouble winning in Seattle for two reasons. It’s far away and it’s loud. Seattle is the third-farthest NFL market from Cleveland – 2,020 air miles. San Francisco (2,162) and Los Angeles (2,044) are farther. As for the noise, Ventrone said, “To me, it’s the loudest stadium in the league. It’s hard to play there. The crowd definitely has an impact.” Coach Kevin Stefanski said, “It’s a really interesting thing because [Lumen Field is] an open- air stadium, but somehow they keep the noise in there. We’ve played in loud places before and this is at the top of the list.” In a game in 2005, the New York Giants committed 11 false-start penalties and missed three field goals because linemen couldn’t focus on the snap counts. False-start penalties lead to down-and-distance nightmares for quarterbacks, which lead to turnovers. For Walker, who has four turnovers in his two games, this is not a good thing. All of which prompted offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to sigh, “If we can go into Seattle and not give them the ball at all on our side of the ball, it gives us a chance.”
Third down: Which? Where? Whom? What did you say?
The Seahawks have accumulated 23 sacks from 11 different defensive players – eight by defensive linemen, 12 by linebackers and three by defensive backs. This come-from-anywhere pressure scheme puts a tremendous challenge on the offensive line and the quarterback to identify where the pressure is coming from. And they have to do it amid the jet-engine noise generated by Seattle’s home crowd. “They have a very active front,” Van Pelt said. “There’s a lot of movement. Their pressure packages are good. So we have to be on top of our game. Playing out there is not easy. You can’t hear a thing in the huddle.” On top of everything else, the Seahawks this week traded for edge rusher Frank Clark, who accumulated 35 of his 58.5 career sacks in his first four NFL seasons with Seattle. Browns offensive tackles Jedrick Wills and rookie Dawand Jones are going to be most challenged.
Fourth down: Wreaking havoc.
Defensive end Myles Garrett accounted for 17 points in the 39-38 win over the Colts with two strip-sacks that turned into Browns touchdowns and a blocked field goal that resulted in a Browns made field goal. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz called it “a performance for the ages.” Garrett also had eight tackles, a high number for a defensive end. The performance enabled the Browns to win the turnover battle (4-2) for the first time in a game this year. The Seahawks have given up only six turnovers on offense through six games – tied for fourth-best in the league. If protecting the ball gives the Browns a chance to win, so too does taking it away. Quarterback Geno Smith has five of the Seahawks giveaways -- four interceptions and a fumble. He’s been plagued by shaky offensive line play caused by injuries. The Seahawks have fielded five different starting alignments in six games. This week, they’re contemplating inserting 41-year-old Jason Peters at right tackle. In a 2021 game against the Browns, Peters started at left tackle for the Chicago Bears. Garrett lined up across Peters and registered 4.5 sacks and hit quarterback Justin Fields six times. As usual, the line of scrimmage matchup favors the Browns.
The pick: Seahawks 23, Browns 16.
My record. 3-3.
