Austin Hooper praises Cleveland Browns defense

Austin Hooper talks Cleveland Browns defense with Jim Rome

Week 11 was another win for the Cleveland Browns as they moved to 7-3 on the season after knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles. The win, coupled with the Baltimore Ravens’ loss to the Tennessee Titans, moves them to second place in the AFC North.

Spirits were high following the win, and that could be heard in the voice of tight end Austin Hooper, who was a guest on The Jim Rome Show. One thing that Hooper touched on was how deep his club is at defense.

While discussing the depth, Hooper said that edge rusher Olivier Vernon had “a ridiculous day” and then went on to praise Adrian Clayborn, a former teammate of his from his time with the Atlanta Falcons. And as is often the case with friends, Hooper took a fun jab at Clayborn, calling him a “crabby old man.”

Hooper said that the narrative has been that Myles Garrett has been out there carrying the defensive line, and when it was announced he would miss time while on the COVID Reserve List there was understandable panic.

In the end, the remaining defenders stepped up and while Hooper praised players such as cornerback Denzel Ward, it was the play of the defensive line that set the tone for the game.

There will be another chance for these guys to prove they can get it done without their Pro Bowl edge rusher as Garrett will again miss Week 12 due to being on the reserve list.

Cleveland faces Jacksonville, a team that has struggled mightily on offense this season. With that being the case, they should be able to find more success as they look for win No. 8.