The Cleveland Browns have seen several major players step up on the defensive front but they still have major holes all over the place.
The Cleveland Browns don’t have a great defense. Their offense has been keeping other offenses off the field and the Browns defense is reaping the rewards. The Browns defense has some nice players to build around and hopefully, the Browns go full defense in 2021 in the NFL Draft. Yet, with that statement, the Browns need to accept that they’re lacking on that side of the ball. This is why No. 5 is a huge ol’ cheat.
That being said, he’s done more to help the defense out than most of the actual defensive players, so there’s that.
Jamie Gillan
I know, he’s a punter. I know, he’s technically a special teamer. I know, punters “aren’t footballer players”. My list, my rules. Frankly, there’s just not enough steady talent to warrant having a fifth player from the actual defensive squad on here. Malcolm Smith has a big game but then disappears like he’s a shadow at noon. B.J. Goodson is everything critics thought Joe Schobert was. Olivier Vernon has two good games to his credit. Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi, see Vernon.
With Gillan, the punter’s set the tone for the defense. They’re the ones who can either give the defense great field position, or awful field position. They are the special team’s Q to the defense’s James Bond. So we’re going to credit him with an honorary defensive status.
He’s not hitting the ball deep when he punts, but that’s the key. When he punts. He’s not punting the ball a lot, due in part to the Brown’s awesome offense. He’s had two or fewer punts in five games this year, with another two where he had only three punts. So he’s not getting as many opportunities but when he does get them, he makes sure to come through.
Andrew Sendejo
Darn PFF, I’ve seen Andrew Sendejo try to make more plays on the ball than Shakespear. It’s not his fault his cornerbacks can’t contain anyone, or that his other safeties were often times out of position. Is there any wonder that when Ronnie Harrison started playing, Sendejo wasn’t involved in big plays? It’s because, with a competent safety next to him, Sendejo wasn’t forced to sprint across the field just to arrive at the last moment.
Sendejo has played 912 snaps this year, and only ever gets guff for the handful of plays he’s given up. While some fans blame him for some of the early season woes, it hasn’t been his fault, at least a large portion of the time. The Browns have seen Sendejo rock the ground game, however. No matter what you say about him as a coverage guy, he’s been able to walk up and lay some wood on running backs, and has been a great tackler in space. In an era where arm tackles and falling on ball carriers have become the norm on defense, Sendejo has really embraced the “wrap and drive” of defenses gone by.
He’s second on the team in tackles and only B.J. Goodson has racked up more tackles as the Browns middle linebacker. He’s not going to the Pro Bowl by any means but his PFF score and the criticism that fans have lobbed onto him aren’t deserved.
Ronnie Harrison
Ronnie Harrison has been a marvel since coming in. His arrival allowed the safeties to settle and allow Andrew Sendejo to worry less about covering the entire field. Harrison is a huge upgrade over Karl Joseph and the other safeties on the team. The only problem that Harrison has been having is staying healthy. For some reason, Harrison isn’t able to actually stay on the field. He’s only started six games so far this year, but the Browns are 5-1 in teams he does start.
He only played seven snaps against the Eagles and Jaguars and wasn’t able to go against the Titans at all. That has got to change, especially if the Browns want to bring him back. He can be the most talented player ever, but if he can’t stay on the field, then what is the point in keeping him?
Harrison has to start taking care of himself so he can stay on the field because he can play. Not only can he play but he might actually be much better than what was expected. After all, he wasn’t taken by the Jaguars to start originally, but poor play and injuries forced him into the lineup as a rookie, and then he started 14 of 14 games he was able to play in during his second season.
So far in 2020, he has 32 tackles, six pass deflections, one interception, one sack, and one defensive touchdown. What his stats look like if the Browns got to have him around for an entire season without worrying about his mounting injuries.
Denzel Ward
Injuries have been Denzel Ward’s biggest issue since entering the league. He’s already missed seven games in his first three years, something that has been affecting the team’s defense over the years. Maybe none more so than this year, where the Browns are down any real effective backup at corner. Not just that, but the Browns’ don’t even have a second starter to help out Ward when he is healthy. When he isn’t, the corners are picked on like the nerdy kid in seventh grade.
Ward’s been a beast though, even though he’s been dealing with injuries all year. While he’s only missed a handful of games, he’s been dealing with nagging injuries the whole year. Despite that, he’s been putting in the work and playing very well. He has 15 pass deflections so far in 2020 and in his last game against the Eagles, had a whopping four.
He’s also forced three turnovers, with two interceptions and one forced fumble. He’s not just a good cover guy, he’s a good tackler. He doesn’t let people go when he makes contact. He’s a true blue shutdown corner like that.
Ward would be so much better if he had a corner-mate on the other side of him. As mentioned before, the addition of Ronnie Harrison really helped Andrew Sendejo, and if Ward had another cornerback who was worth a darn, this secondary would be top-notch. Ward needs to get healthy and then he needs a running mate who can help him out.
Myles Garrett
Was there going to be anyone else but Garrett? Myles Garrett has missed two games this year, but that hasn’t affected his statistics. He has 33 combined tackles, 10.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 15 quarterback hits, and eight tackles for a loss. Imagine those numbers if he hadn’t missed two weeks.
Right now, Garrett is probably out of the race for the Defensive Player of the Year, as T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald really upped their game over the last few weeks, and that came right as when Garrett was forced to sit out due to COVID-19.
That hasn’t changed the fact that Garrett has been marvelous all year, and a real force as a defensive end. That doesn’t mean that his position isn’t highly overvalued, because it is, but as far as defensive ends go you won’t find very many who are better.
Garrett is going to be a key piece in the Browns playoff push, seeing as how GM Andrew Berry didn’t really spend any money on the defense this year, not even on one-year deals. Which is something the entire defense is littered with, one-year deals. They’re all just for cheap players.
Garrett is really doing a lot of this on his own, and this defense has been more lucky than good. Bailed out often by long drives from the offense, the Browns need to find a way to make Garrett and the defense real threats in the coming weeks.