CLEVELAND — The matchup between the Browns and the Cardinals features past two Heisman Trophy winners and No. 1 picks: Browns QB Baker Mayfield, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. They were teammates at Oklahoma.
The Browns-Cardinals matchup is rare in recent history.
The two teams have played just five times since 2000.
The Cardinals have won four of five and the Browns have lost last three visits to desert.
The Browns enter final three-game stretch with playoffs still in play and no shortage of drama.
With a win, the Browns would reach seven victories for second straight season.
The team hasn’t won that many games in consecutive years since 2001-02.
The Browns have won four of five, but are 0-3 against NFC West with losses to Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, and Seattle.
The Browns first-year coach Freddie Kitchens returns to Arizona, where he served on the Cardinals staff from 2007-17.
Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was Arizona’s head coach last season.
Cleveland RB Nick Chubb leads NFL with 1,281 yards rushing, most for Cleveland back since Jamal Lewis (1,304) in 2007.
Chubb’s 98.5 yards rushing per game are best for Browns back since Hall of Famer Jim Brown’s 110.3 in 1965.
Chubb is also the first Browns back with six 100-yard games since Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly’s seven in 1968.
Mayfield played for Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury as a walk-on at Texas Tech.
They had a falling out and Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma, where he won Heisman Trophy in 2017.
Kingsbury said the pair are “in a good place.”
Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr. is slowed by a sports hernia injury that will likely require offseason surgery.
Beckham had two catches last week as reports surfaced he wants out of Cleveland.
WR Jarvis Landry has 995 yards receiving.
He hasn’t reached 1,000 since 2016.
The Browns are struggling to create pass rush following DE Myles Garrett’s indefinite suspension.
The Cardinals LB Terrell Suggs, who played for Baltimore for 16 years, has 19 career sacks vs. Browns.
Murray has franchise rookie records in yards passing (3,060), TD passes (16), completions (293) and attempts (457).
Murray is trying to bounce back from first a three-interception game last week vs. Steelers.
This is the final home game for the Cardinals this season.
Arizona has won just once at State Farm Stadium in 2019.
WR Christian Kirk made 100th career reception last week vs. Pittsburgh.
He got to mark in second season and 22nd career game.
Fantasy Tip: Chubb picked up 99 yards in second half last week. He could rumble against Arizona’s No. 24 rushing defense. Browns would love to see him finish as team’s first league rushing leader in 51 years. Mayfield has had up-and-down season but many teams get big yards against Arizona’s porous pass defense.
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