Cleveland Browns: Studs and duds from Week 15 victory in Denver

Dud: Tight end coverage

No matter who was defending the Broncos tight ends, the Browns defense could not stop them from making plays. The Broncos were not able to accomplish anything down the field and heavily relied on their underneath passing to move down the field.

That strategy worked for Denver, as the Browns could not keep the Denver tight ends in check. Denver’s tight ends, Matt LaCosse and Brian Parker, caught six passes for 61 yards. Although they did not get much yardage, they were making plays during key points of drives or during big moments in the game.

All season, the Browns have struggled to keep tight ends in check. They may not be featured in the passing game, but the Browns defense allows opposing tight ends to make big plays throughout games.

The Browns have one of the best coverage linebackers in the league with Joe Schobert. However, Schobert is typically used dropping into the middle part of the field. With what the Broncos were doing on offense, Schobert did not have many opportunities to make plays in coverage.

If the Browns want their defense to improve over the next two weeks, they need to find a way to keep tight ends from making as many plays as they allow. It may take keeping a safety lined up in man coverage, but they cannot keep letting tight ends to have big impacts.