Cleveland Browns surprises and disappointments from first quarter of 2019
By Dan Justik
Disappointment – Denzel Ward
Denzel Ward has only played in the first two games of the season as he has missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury. However, even when he was on the field, Ward is not living up to the expectations set for him after a sensational rookie year.
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During the first two games, Ward was prone to giving up big plays, including multiple to Tennessee Titans rookie A.J. Brown. Brown was gaining inside leverage on Ward and used that leverage to get in position to make the play in front of Ward. Ward then had issues bringing Brown down with some poor tackling.
Ward has struggled to make plays on the ball, which is what helped him thrive in 2018. The second-year cornerback has made seven total tackles, but has not registered a pass defensed this season.
The 22-year-old’s struggles could be associated with Steve Wilks’ scheme. Wilks prefers to use zone coverage while Ward thrives playing press man coverage. When Ward is not jamming at the line of scrimmage, he has struggled to put himself in position to break up passes.
Once Ward returns to full health and can take the field for the Browns, he is going to need to make some adjustments. The Browns need Ward to be the play-maker he was last season, and perhaps Wilks can help put him in better positions to help him make plays.