Cleveland Browns: 4 defensive takeaways vs. the Ravens
By Thomas Moore
While the run defense looked better on Sunday, the pass rush remains a work in progress – at least in terms of sacks.
Through two games the Browns have recorded just a pair of sacks. Against the Ravens, the Browns hit quarterback Joe Flacco five times, but were not able to sack him as they are quickly turning into a defense that gets to the quarterback just a second too late.
Hitting the opposing quarterback can have an accumulative effect, of course, and sacks are not necessarily the best indicator of a defense’s success. But the inability to bring down the opposing quarterback could quickly turn into a problem.
Next: Browns: Grades vs. the Ravens
“This is a young football team that showed fight and grit a little bit. We just have to learn how to finish,” head coach Hue Jackson said. “That is my job and that is this staff’s job. We make no excuses. We are an 0-2 football team right now. We have a lot of work to do to continue to get better, but I saw us get better from Week 1 to Week 2, and hopefully, we can continue to do so.”