Browns Are Playing With House Money Against Rams on Sunday Night

After their Week 2 drubbing of the New York Jets on Monday night, the Cleveland Browns are back in the spotlight as they square off against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.

It's a matchup that's sure to provide plenty of excitement, but perhaps the most important thing to know about the game is that the Browns are playing with house money.

The bar isn't exactly set particularly high for them. They're off to a modest 1-1 start this year, and though they handled the Jets, not much is expected out of them. They're season-opening loss to the Titans really exposed their flaws.

And besides, the Rams are viewed as contenders to make the Super Bowl this year, whereas the Browns are still considered to be a work in progress even with all of the talent on their roster.

They're also dealing with their fair share of injuries. Star linebacker Christian Kirksey, for example, isn't expected to start. Defensive stars Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams were also limited in practice throughout the week.

And that's not even mentioning the differences in their quarterbacks. The Rams just signed Jared Goff to a massive four-year, $134 million contract extension. By comparison, Baker Mayfield is slated to carry a cap hit of just over $7.4 million this year despite the fact that he's probably the better player.

All they have to do is keep it remotely close. Nobody is expecting them to walk out there and wax the floor with the Rams. If the final score is within a touchdown come Monday, fans everywhere will chattering about how the Browns are back on the map.