Daily Dawg Tags: Defense showed promise of what it can be in 2017
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns defense had its issues in 2017, but the unit showed enough promise to believe a better day is not that far off.
The Cleveland Browns offense was a bit of a mess in 2017 and certainly did its part to contribute to the final record of 0-16.
The Browns did not score very often as the finished 32nd in the league with an average of just 14.6 points per game, the team’s lowest offensive output since the first year of the Pat Shurmur era in 2011.
The offensive woes should not overshadow the effort from the defense, which played its own role in a season to forget.
The one bright spot on the defense was the play against the run, as the Browns finished second in the NFL by giving up just 3.4 yards per carry. In addition, after finishing the past two seasons near the bottom of the league in yards allowed per game, the Browns were a respectable 14th this season.
Cleveland Browns
The bad news is that the defense couldn’t keep anyone out of the end zone as they gave up an average of 25.6 points per game, next-to-last in the league rankings. The 410 points allowed is the sixth-most in franchise history and the fourth time in the past five years that the team has allowed more than 400 points in a season.
The Browns also struggled to get off the field on third down as they allowed opposing offenses to convert on 41 percent of their third-down opportunities, which ranked the defense at No. 24 in the league.
Those collective efforts overshadowed some individual performances of note, starting with rookie defensive end Myles Garrett, who finished the season with eight sacks in just 11 games. Even though they were not on the field together every week due to injuries, Garrett and second-year defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah showed enough flashes to make opposing quarterbacks worry about their prospects when they face the Browns.
Linebackers Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey were also solid, finishing with 144 and 138 tackles, respectively, while linebacker James Burgess showed a knack for big plays as 10 of his 76 tackles were for a loss.
It may not seem like it amid the rubble of a winless season, but the Browns have the makings of a very solid defense in place, one that with a little bit of good luck on injuries and a few more pieces, will be one that fans will be excited to see on a weekly basis.
Cleveland Browns news:
Browns draft path made easier by Rosen and Darnold
The Cleveland Browns 2018 draft class may not include quarterbacks Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold, but the Browns can still gain an advantage throughout the draft because those two are in it.
Everything is in place for Browns to fix the quarterback problem (cleveland.com)
"The Browns have sat on the sidelines while team after team has solved their quarterback problem, punting on the most important position in the sport — maybe in all of sports. This offseason, though, is right there for them to solve it — and they can’t afford to miss on this decision."
David Njoku is Browns unheralded building block (Bleacher Report)
"Assembling a successful NFL team requires building blocks of all shapes and sizes. Some are blockbuster free agents who earned a massive payday. Some are highly touted prospects who became first-round picks. And some are players who get overlooked for a number of reasons, but they later grow into key contributors. The latter group could be forgotten on a losing roster, like Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku."
NFL news:
Is the beginning of the end for the Patriots? (ESPN)
"For almost two decades, Bill Belichick has managed to subvert the egos of his best player, his boss and himself for the good of the New England Patriots, yielding historic results. This year, though, the dynamics have been different."
NFL Playoffs Confidential: players, coaches tell all (ESPN)
"In order to get a feel for what the playoff teams do well, ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters asked a number of players, coaches and team personnel for their anonymous thoughts on each team. Here’s what they had to say."
Jets open to trading up to draft a quarterback (NFL.com)
"The New York Jets didn’t tank the 2017 season, winning five games and earning the No. 6 overall pick. Theoretically the victories could put Gang Green in a spot where they miss out on the franchise quarterback of their dreams — Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, etc. If the Jets fall in love with one of the quarterbacks could general manager Mike Maccagnan break with his tendency and trade up to snag him?"
Defense brings the playoffs to Jacksonville (New York Times)
"A man of many talents, including leveling quarterbacks and flinging creative insults at opponents, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson also fashions himself an amateur neologist."