How will the special teams unit perform after recent struggles?

The Browns special teams unit has made costly mistakes throughout the season, including on the first play of their 21-14 loss to the Bengals in Week 7.

On the game’s opening kickoff, the Browns allowed WR Charlie Jones to run 100 yards for a touchdown.

“It’s a young group that we’re coaching up, but I definitely have seen a lot of improvement with our group,” assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said. “Overall, I think we’ve been decent. Obviously, we have a few blemishes on our resume this year.”

Two of those blemishes have come in each of the past two games.

In Week 14 against the Steelers, WR Kadarius Toney muffed a punt return in the fourth quarter and the Steelers recovered in Browns’ territory. In Week 15, WR James Proche II fumbled on a punt return, leading to a Chiefs’ touchdown drive.

“It was unfortunate,” Ventrone said. “We have to do a better job of obviously possessing the ball. It was a short ball that (Proche) was coming up to get. It didn’t look like he had great control of the ball once he secured it, and it gets knocked out from behind him. It’s unfortunate.”

Ventrone said that Proche has a chance to return punts again this season. He also said that practice squad wide receivers Jaelen Gill and Kaden Davis could be options in the return game.

In addition to occasional struggles in the return game, the Browns kicking unit has struggled to convert field goal attempts throughout the season.

K Dustin Hopkins has converted 64 percent of field goal attempts this year, currently the lowest rate of his 11-season career. Hopkins did not play in Week 15 against the Chiefs but will be active in Week 16 against the Bengals.

“I thought he had a really, really good week last week in practice, so I’m excited for him to get back out there,” Stefanski said.

One bright spot for the Browns return unit has been RB Jerome Ford, who has averaged over 27 yards per kickoff return this season.

In Week 15 against the Chiefs, Ford returned a kickoff 45 yards to the Chiefs 49-yard line. Later in the game, Ford showed his speed on a 62-yard run to the end zone for the Browns’ only touchdown. Although it wasn’t a special teams play, the run by Ford showed the game-breaking speed he adds in the return game.

“You saw him break away on the run on the offensive play, how much speed he has. He gets his momentum going fast and he hits his top end speed pretty good,” Ventrone said. “And he likes (returning kicks), that’s the thing. You have to be willing to do it, to hit the seam and hit it hard and he’s done a good job for us.”

For the Browns to earn a victory in Cincinnati, strong play from the special teams unit will be vital.

The Bengals offense averages the fifth-most points per game in the NFL this season at 28.5, meaning turnovers on special teams would give the ball back to one of the hottest offenses in the NFL.

“Our number one priority for us, we talk about getting the ball back to the offense and the last two weeks we didn’t do a good job of that,” Ventrone said. “So, I think we have made plays and there have been a couple times where we haven’t answered the bell.”