Colt McCoy, JJ Watt

Former Browns QB Colt McCoy attempts a pass by Texans DE J.J. Watt (99) back in 2011.

(AP)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three years with the Houston Texans taught Ben Tate all he needed to know about J.J. Watt - the best defensive player in the NFL.

"The dude's a beast," said Tate, who signed with the Cleveland Browns this past offseason. "He's the hardest worker I've been around. He's maximized every inch of his talent. He has his mind set on being the best player in the NFL and he's on pace to be that right now."

Watt has 39 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one interception in nine games. He rose from a college walk-on at Wisconsin to the 2012 defensive player of the year. He's become such a force in such a short time that he's already been compared to some of the greats.

"I've never seen anyone as disruptive as he is," said Browns all-pro left tackle Joe Thomas.

"He's one of the most dominant defensive forces in the NFL," said right guard John Greco. "His size, power, speed and quickness makes him the total package. If you were creating a player in a video game, he's the one you'd create."

To say the Browns' offensive line will have its hands full on Sunday is an understatement. It's already a challenge for the Browns to fill the void left by injured center Alex Mack, but adding a force like Watt to the equation is a daunting task for Sunday's Showdown.

The focus of this week's key matchup is the Browns offensive line vs. Watt, a defensive end. On Sunday, we'll break down the matchup live at the end of each quarter on cleveland.com/browns and wrap up the battle following the game with reaction from the locker room.

Despite the change in the lineup due to Mack's injury, the offensive line has not suffered a major drop off. The Browns remain among the leaders in fewest sacks allowed (eighth in league with a 4.8 percent, according to Pro Football Focus).

But those numbers may not matter against Watt. The Browns will face a defensive lineman who will line up in different areas across the line throughout the game, so everyone must prepare for Watt's rush.

Greco expects Watt to line up across from him and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz most of the time.

"We're going to look at the tape on him, but he's going to make a play because he's that good," Greco said. "You just have to hope we make one more play than they do at the end of the game."

Watching film on Watt is must-see TV for the offensive line and for offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

"It's tough because he's such a good player," Shanahan said. "He plays a tough position that puts the offense in a lot of tough situations. This is my first time playing against him so this is my first time really studying him on tape. He's as good as advertised, so it will be a challenge."

Expect the Browns to double-team Watt with a combination of guard and tackle, tight end and tackle, and even with an occasional running back in the blocking mix.

An all-hands on deck strategy is needed on Sunday. It still may not be enough.

"What you hear and see is pretty much what you get with him," said left guard Joel Bitonio. "You can't really stop him. People say he's the MVP, and it's hard to argue with that."

TALE OF THE TAPE:



Browns offensive line (LT Joe Thomas, LG Joel Bitonio, C Nick McDonald, RG John Greco, RT Mitchell Schwartz).

Numbers: The Browns' 13 sacks allowed is fourth in the league.



Texans defensive end J.J. Watt

School: Wisconsin

Ht/Wt: 6-5, 289

Numbers: Watt has 39 tackles and 8.8 sacks.