What is the story about?
The
Cleveland Browns’ defense was a big letdown against the Titans, having their worst performance of the season against arguably the worst offense. Cam Ward looked pedestrian, but still threw for a career-high two touchdown passes. The real story was the run defense, where they just allowed gaping runs to Tony Pollard on plays that really weren’t even that special.
Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on defense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 14 game against the Tennessee Titans
Defensive Line
- Myles Garrett only had one sack, but also added a couple more tackles for a loss. I thought there were times where Cleveland in general tried to go too pass-rush heavy with wide alignments of Garrett, and Tennessee accounted for it wisely. Garrett was the second-highest graded player on defense by PFF, grading out to an 83.7.
- Alex Wright was also effective in his return to action, playing 65% of the snaps. Isaiah McGuire had a smaller role, only playing in 21% of the snaps.
- Maliek Collins was missed up the middle, as Shelby Harris graded out to a 50.2 from PFF, and Mike Hall was the team’s lowest-graded defender at a 38.4. Hall’s run defense was graded worst on the team, which is a concerning trend if you’re looking forward to next season with him. Sam Kamara, meanwhile, continues to deliever quality reps in a rotational role.
Linebacker
- Carson Schwesinger led the team again with 12 tackles, and was the Browns’ third-highest graded defender with an 81.6 from PFF.
- Devin Bush one-upped him, no doubt boosted from his interception that set up a score for Cleveland. Bush was the Browns’ highest-graded defender, grading out to a 90.3 from PFF.
Cornerback
- Denzel Ward exited the game early to injury, but it was another mediocre performance for him, as his run defense and tackling suffered this week.
- Tyson Campbell continues his strong season with Cleveland and was the fifth-highest graded player on defense, grading out to a 73.3 by PFF.
Safety
- The Browns’ safeties have seen better days, as Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman had tackling issues and weren’t in the best position with their run defense either.
