Experts Believe Browns Will Have Hard Time vs Panthers in Week 3

The Cleveland Browns are gearing up for a Week 3 showdown against the Carolina Panthers, with the team looking to win its second straight game.

Cleveland was able to take down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week in what ended up being a very strange game. But in the end, the Browns did get the win, giving head coach Todd Monken the first victory of his tenure with the organization.

Now, heading into the game with Carolina, the Browns will be playing their first home game of the season. The fans have been patiently waiting for this contest, and the team rewarded them by picking up the win last week.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson was able to silence some doubters in the win over the Buccaneers, giving himself a longer leash when it comes to being the starter. But Watson will need to continue to put together another solid outing against the Panthers to keep the noise around him quiet.

Monken has taken some criticism for the decision to start Watson, but the veteran quarterback did play well a week ago. But against the Panthers, the Browns will need to put together a complete team effort to slow them down.

Ahead of the game, multiple NFL experts from Bleacher Report predicted the game against the Panthers. Analysts Gary Davenport, Brad Gagnon, Kris Knox, Moe Moton, Brent Sobleski, Wes O'Donnell, and Ian Hanford all shared their thoughts on the game.

Six of the seven analysts picked the Panthers to take down the Browns in Week 3. Only Hanford decided to roll with Cleveland to grab its second win of the new season.

The key in this game for the Browns will be the defense trying to slow down the strong offense from Carolina. Through the first two games of the season, the Panthers have been one of the better offensive teams, and this could create some problems for Cleveland.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has looked very good thus far, and it will be up to the Browns to make him uncomfortable. This is where someone like defensive end Jared Verse will need to make his presence known in this game.

If the Browns can make Young uncomfortable early on, it will set a tone for the remainder of the game. Young hasn't done well over his career when pressured heavily, so Cleveland will need to make sure that they attack him early and often.

Kickoff between the Browns and Panthers is set for 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET from Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.