The Cleveland Browns are sticking with Josh McCown at quarterback despite the strong play of Johnny Manziel in Week 2, but are still the favorites to improve to 2-1 when the Oakland Raiders travel to Cleveland in Week 3.
Raiders vs. Browns 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Browns and Raiders enter Week 3 with matching 1-1 records after earning victories last week.
With Manziel at the helm, the Browns earned a 28-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans, with the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner throwing for 172 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions on only 15 pass attempts. Still, the Browns were far from a juggernaut in the first two weeks, and enter Week 3 with the No. 30 offense in the NFL.
The remedy for the Browns' offense could be the Raiders' defense, which currently ranks last in the NFL after giving up 396 yards to the Cincinnati Bengals and 493 to the Baltimore Ravens. Despite giving up so many yards to the Ravens, the Raiders managed to earn a 37-33 victory thanks to a prolific day from Derek Carr.
Carr racked up 351 passing yards against the Ravens, the most in his NFL career, along with three touchdowns and an interception. The Raiders have also been aided by the contributions of third-year running back Latavius Murray, who averaged 5.2 yards per carry last year and has 4.2 yards per carry so far in 2015.
The Browns have allowed the most rushing yards in the NFL in 2015, so stopping Murray could be difficult for the Cleveland defense. However, the Browns are fourth-best in passing yards allowed -- Cleveland caused troubles for Marcus Mariota and already has seven sacks through two weeks, so keeping Carr clean will be a priority for the Raiders.
Oakland has done a good job of that so far. Carr was sacked just once against the Ravens, though his backup Matt McGloin went down twice against Cincinnati after replacing Carr (hand injury) in Week 1. With time to throw, the second-year quarterback has developed a quick connection with Amari Cooper, who tallied 109 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Ravens on seven receptions.
Keeping momentum with the return of McCown will be the key for the Browns. After a big season with the Chicago Bears in relief of Jay Cutler in 2013, McCown was a disappointing addition for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014. In his debut with the Browns in Week 1, McCown completed just five passes for 49 yards before he left with a concussion and was replaced by Manziel.
With Manziel behind center, the Browns were conservative on offense and have just 47 pass attempts as a team through two weeks, the lowest total in the NFL. That’s why the Cleveland offense is No. 29 in passing yards, despite being top-10 in net yards per pass attempt. Putting McCown back in the lineup may convince Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo to open up the playbook more against a Raiders secondary that has already suffered some significant injuries early in the year.
The NFL doesn’t currently offer a live streaming service for fans in the United States or Mexico. Live radio broadcasts are available through NFL Game Pass, but on-demand replays of the games aren’t available until later.
How to watch online
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: CBS
Announcers: Carter Blackburn, Chris Simms
Online: NFL Game Pass
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