Cleveland Browns: Week 4 grades after defense shines again
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns Defense: A+
For as disappointing as the offense was on Sunday, the defense was equally as impressive. Not only did they hold Kirk Cousins to a 66-passer rating, but they also held the Vikings offense to 255 total yards. Remember, this is a team that put up over 400-yards of offense vs. the Seattle Seahawks last week.
The defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage in the run game, but they also made life extremely difficult for Cousins in the passing game. While they were only able to sack him twice, they got 10 quarterback hits, and a ton of pressure throughout the game the sped up a ton of throws.
The linebackers were also impressive. Malcolm Smith led the team with eight tackles, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was second with seven. This group had great gap discipline, flew around the field on stretch run plays, and did a great job in coverage. JOK continues to prove his size doesn’t limit his ability in stopping the run, and his speed makes him extremely dangerous.
The most impressive players on the defense may have been the corners, specifically Greedy Williams and Troy Hill. They both were in extremely tight coverage all day and made a ton of great plays to slow down a great group of receivers for the Vikings. Denzel Ward played well, but the other two guys just seemed to be on another level.
Next. Studs and Duds in Week 4 nail-biting victory. dark
255 totally yards and seven points. If the Browns defense can continue this roll, they will be very tough to beat. I know the stat line isn’t as impressive as last week, but the level of competition was much greater. I would argue the performance yesterday was the most impressive of the year so far.