The Cleveland Browns did the unthinkable in Week 2 and overcame the odds to defeat the Bucs on the road. They enter their home opener at 1-1, and head coach Todd Monken records his first win as an NFL head coach.
All of that is now in the rearview mirror, though, as we turn the page to Week 3 for the Browns. It will be their first home game of the season, so it will carry some extra weight, and with it comes extra meaning.
The game between the Browns and Panthers is an interesting one, based on film and the numbers. On defense, there are a few keys to the game we want to share.
Denzel Ward to contain Tetairoa McMillan
McMillan is having a great start to the 2026 season through two weeks. He is averaging 17.6 yards per reception with an average depth of target of 14.8 yards. He is Bryce
Young's main target and with Jalen Coker looking like he won't play, containing McMillan will be critical. Denzel Ward is also starting the year extremely well, so whoever wins this matchup could decide the game. Force the Panthers to run the ball, force Bryce Young to make risky throws, and the Browns will be able to win their home opener.
Mason Graham being a disruptor
We wrote about Graham's start to the year in our Week 3 matchups piece. We wrote, "Through two games, Graham has racked up five defensive stops, four pressures, three tackles for a loss, and two sacks. He has consistently gotten into the backfield to create chaos, and against the Panthers, he will need to do that again." Graham creating that sort of disturbance in the backfield for a Panthers team struggling to run the ball and with a quarterback who can be hot and cold will make a difference.
Jared Verse finding his smile on the field
While playing for the Los Angeles Rams through the first two weeks of the 2025 season, Verse had secured a total of seven pressures. Through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, Verse has just one. He has got to find himself against the Panthers in Week 3. When I say "find his smile," I am referring to professional wrestler Shawn Michaels saying he needed to find his smile during a rough stretch of his career. Verse is not a bust; he is still one of the best edge rushers in the league, but it is time he shows it.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 3 Keys for the Browns' defense against the Panthers in Week 3
