Seahawks @ Browns

Who will WIN this matchup?

Seattle Seahawks (4-1)

@ Cleveland Browns (2-3)

Current odds:

Seattle Seahawks: (-110)

Cleveland Browns: (-110)

• The line for this game is even.

• The Cleveland Browns’ hype train has come to a screeching halt with a series of lackluster performances, low-lighted by a 31-3 loss at the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. The Browns face another tough test this week when they return home to host Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Cleveland was counting on continued improvement from quarterback Baker Mayfield this season after a strong rookie campaign in 2018, but instead the former No. 1 overall pick seems to be regressing while completing 55.9 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. “Some of it has to do with the lack of protection,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens told reporters Tuesday while referencing Monday’s performance in San Francisco, in which Mayfield went 8-of-22 and threw a pair of picks. “Some if it had to do with a couple bad throws, couple bad decisions. Overall, we had some drops. You can’t do those things and play the quarterback position at an elite level. If you just want the honest answer, you have to have consistency around you, you have to be consistent yourself, and none of that happened.”

• The Seahawks have no such issue at quarterback, where Wilson is leading the NFL with a 126.3 rating while completing 73.1 percent of his passes. “He’s been playing MVP-level all season, man,” Seattle left tackle Duane Brown told ESPN. “He’s been doing this his whole career. I know a lot has been said about his performance thus far this season, but he’s been doing this every year. He’s just amazing, man, he’s just amazing. … He’s a generational talent. He’s a Hall of Fame player, man, and I’m just glad he’s on my team.”

• Seattle, which has been off since outlasting the Los Angeles Rams 30-29 on Oct. 3, earned three of its four wins by two or fewer points, and Wilson’s near-flawless play is being cited as the reason. “His consistency is there,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters of Wilson. “His confidence. His command has been the same each week, week to week. It’s exciting to see. It’s something that I’m not surprised, I’m just wanting to see really when he’s really going to take over and really own it. I think we’re seeing that from last year and this year that he’s getting into that mode.” Wilson and the offense are taking some pressure off a defense that is still trying to get the pass rush right after failing to record a sack against the Rams.

• Cleveland will get a bye next week before the schedule gets even tougher with a road trip to New England, and the team feels a sense of urgency. “Even though it’s early, it’s definitely a point in our season where we have to hit the ground running,” wide receiver Jarvis Landry told reporters. “Like, we have to get going right now. No more peaks and valleys. I think the biggest thing about teams in this league, great teams, playoff teams, they put streaks together. At some point during the season they put a couple four- or five-game streaks together. We’ve got to find a way to do that. We can start with it before the bye.” Landry leads the team with 403 receiving yards but has yet to find the end zone while fellow wideout Odell Beckham Jr. (335 yards) is stuck on one TD.

• Seahawks G D.J. Fluker (hamstring) was held out of practice this week and is questionable.

• Browns WR Rashard Higgins (knee) has been out since Week 1 but returned to practice this week and could play Sunday.

• Cleveland CBs Denzel Ward (hamstring) and Greedy Williams (hamstring) are limited in practice and are doubtful for Sunday.