Can the Browns stop Melvin Gordon on Sunday?
By Thomas Moore
Sep 13, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (28) is defended by Detroit Lions linebacker Josh Bynes (57) during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
The numbers have been ugly when it comes to the Cleveland Browns and their run defense.
For a quick refresher, through three games so far the Browns have given up:
- 154 rushing yards to the New York Jets
- 166 rushing yards to the Tennessee Titans
- 155 rushing yards to the Oakland Raiders
Add it all up and the Browns are giving up, on average, 158.3 yards per game on the ground. As hard as it may be to believe, that is actually worse than what they did last season, when they were last in the NFL after giving up 141.6 yards per game.
Making matters worse, if that is possible, is the fact that the Browns haven’t exactly been facing the league’s top backs during the opening weeks of the season (no offense) and they still can’t stop anyone.
“We’re going to fix it. A lot of things are easily correctable.” – Safety Donte Whitner on the run defense
The likes of Chris Ivory (undrafted free agent) Bilal Powell (fourth round), Dexter McCluster (second round) and Latavius Murray (sixth round) have all taken turns treating the Browns like a carefully selected homecoming opponent.
As the distinguished Maryland state Sen. Clay Davis would say, well, this is a family website so we can’t say it, but you know what we mean.
This week the Browns get Melvin Gordon, who San Diego drafted in the first round after watching Gordon rush for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns last season at Wisconsin.
Gordon hasn’t had what could be considered a “breakout game” yet this year as he’s only rushed for 190 yards and no touchdowns during the Chargers’ 1-2 start, but with the Browns on the schedule, that could all change on Sunday.
“He breaks a lot of tackles. That’s one thing that we saw,” cornerback Joe Haden said of Gordon. “He breaks a lot of tackles and has really good vision. I know from watching him in college his breakaway speed is really good, so with him we’ve got to make sure we get everybody to the football. Don’t think if one person hits him that he’s going to be able to go down. We need to gang tackle that dude because he runs hard and he has really good vision.”
A running back who breaks a lot of tackles? That doesn’t sound good for a defense that struggles to actually tackle the guy who is carrying the ball.
“That’s been our issue is that we can stop the run over a period of time and then let up a big one.” – Head coach Mike Pettine on the run defense
Last week against the Raiders, the Browns missed 14 tackles and, according to Pro Football Focus, eight of those game from safeties Jordan Poyer, Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson, who all earned negative grades from the site.
“We have to be more consistent with our tackling. I have to do a better job putting guys in position where they can make plays in space, but yeah, that’s something we need to improve on,” defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil said today. “I think you have to bring a mindset every single play, that’s one. No. 2 is the way you finish each play on the practice field, you can finish in a good football position – bend at the end, we talk about tagging off at the hip, that way you’re in position to put your chest on the ball carrier and wrap and drive for five (yards) and tackle a guy when you actually are in a live situation.
“It’s something we’ve worked every day as a defense. If you look at the first five minutes of our individual, we’re usually always working on tackling. We just have to continue working it. We’ll get better at it. We have good coaches. It’ll be a point of emphasis for us.”
That’s a good start, but what about Whitner, whose primary contribution should be run support but who has struggled noticeably on the field this season.
“He’s missed a couple of tackles. I think that he’s very hard on himself, also,” O’Neil said.”He’s also done a lot of great things for us in the run game and in the pass game. He’s been very focused, locked in. I think he’s very excited to get back out on the field Sunday.”
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Whitner spoke with the media today about the issues with the run game and employed the Butch Davis defense in explaining what’s been going wrong.
“I wouldn’t say it has gotten worse. I would say there’s two or three plays per game that we let out that we really shouldn’t have,” he said. “That goes for all of us from the defensive line to linebackers to safeties and keeping it in between us and getting the guy on the ground. We can’t give up big plays. When you give up big plays, that’s what happens, especially in the run game.
“If you watch the film, you’ll see 10, 12 plays where they try to run the football and barely get anything. Then, you’ll see that one break out for 40, 50 or 60. Just being consistent and not allowing that one to get out and us getting them on the ground.”
Unfortunately, while there is some truth in what Whitner says, all those yards still count.
And if the Browns don’t start doing something about this Sunday, Gordon could have the kind of day that will make the past three weeks look like a walk in the park.