The Cleveland Browns defense has been historically good thus far in 2023. That much is clear. Plenty has been written about the outlier statistics, the swagger brought by new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and, of course, the unit’s overwhelming talent.
Sunday’s wild win against the Indianapolis Colts showed a different side of the Browns defense. Despite allowing 38 points, the defense made the difference when backup PJ Walker seemingly could get nothing going. It scored a touchdown, blocked a field goal, and consistently put kicker Dustin Hopkins in position to put points on the board.
However, the aggressive Browns defensive unit has one glaring flaw, which was on full display in Indianapolis last Sunday.
The Browns Defense Struggles Against Running Quarterbacks
It was one thing when the Baltimore Ravens ran all over the Browns defense back in Week 4. The team started green quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson when Deshaun Watson was a last-minute scratch. Head Coach and offensive play-caller Kevin Stefanski stubbornly refused to adjust his calls for the rookie, and disaster ensued. The Browns defense was on the field virtually the entire game, as the offense could get nothing going.
Of course, the other reason to discount Baltimore’s success against the Browns defense comes from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is, himself, a great statistical outlier in the NFL. Jackson is a rare talent who is as good a runner as a passer and, unlike slighter athletic quarterbacks like Robert Griffin III, has the body to put up with the pounding of getting hit on every play.
However, the Browns did reasonably well in containing Jackson the runner that day. Through seven games, Jackson is Baltimore’s leading rusher. Against Cleveland, however, he was held to 27 yards on nine carries.
So what’s the problem? Two of those rushes went for touchdowns.
Gardner Minshew is Not Lamar Jackson, Yet…
Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback Garnder Minshew is not Lamar Jackson (no one is). Yet, his statistics against the Browns defense are remarkably similar.
Jackson: 15/19, 186 yards passing, 2 touchdowns. 9 rushes, 27 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Minshew: 15/23, 305 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, 3 rushes, 29 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Minshew’s statistical day actually would’ve been better than Jackson’s, if not for two big-time plays by Browns defensive stars Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward.
The Spy
When teams play quarterbacks who are threats to run, the defensive coordinators often employ a technique called “spy.” This assigns a defender – usually a linebacker or an extra safety – to keep an eye on the quarterback. If the quarterback leaves the pocket, it’s the spy’s primary responsibility to put a stop to it before he gets too far down the field.
The downside to the spy is it essentially reduces the defenders from 11 to 10. A traditional pocket quarterback is not a threat to score on his own. He stays in the pocket and throws the ball out of it. That means that the quarterback has to read and beat 11 defenders. If a spy is employed, that’s one less defender the quarterback needs to account for. Therefore, if the spy contains the running quarterback, more passing lanes will open. Or, to put it another way, stopping an athletic quarterback from running means he’ll have a much greater chance at scoring through the air.
Aggression Defines the Browns Defense
The Cleveland Browns defense is notoriously aggressive. Led by often superhuman efforts from edge rusher Myles Garrett, opposing quarterbacks often drop back and find a Brown closing on them before they can even start their progressions. Similarly, the Browns employ a lot of man coverage in the secondary. Man coverage is harder for quarterbacks to read than zone, but it also depends on the athletic ability of its players. A single misstep often leads to six points.
A running quarterback can neutralize this aggression. Edger rushers come around, well, the edge, which can allow an athlete to slip forward through the middle. This played out twice against the Colts, as Minshew scored two touchdowns on just three rushes in the red zone.
The other downside to constant aggression is that opposing head coaches can counter it with simple discipline through the hard count. This is when the quarterback calls multiple signals designed to draw the defense offsides and turn a 1st and 10 into a 1st and 5 or a 3rd and short into a first down. Colts head coach Shane Steichen wisely employed the hard count on multiple occasions Sunday. This drew Garrett and the aggressive Browns rushers, eager to chase the quarterback, across the line of scrimmage and created free yards for the team.
Every great team has a flaw, and the Cleveland Browns defense is, so far, truly great. How far they can go is dependent on how they can cover their flaws, or use them to their advantage.
Main Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
