The Browns completed a stunning late-game comeback on the backs of the defense, thanks to a dominant performance and a clutch takeaway. Here are three takeaways about the Browns' defense from their Week 3 win over the Packers after watching the all-22 film.
3 takeaways from Browns' defensive film vs Packers
Browns are disguising coverages very well
Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is in his third year with this team, and the defense's core has remained the same, especially in the secondary. With that, the team has been able to advance what it does on the back end of its defense and expand on its core concepts every year. The most notable example of that through three games, and specifically Week 3, is how they have been able to disguise looks and be multiple in every personnel and coverage.
Green Bay is one of the most motion-heavy teams, and that can really be tough to deal with for a defense that likes to run as much man coverage as the Browns do. Typically, when a defensive back follows a motioned receiver across the formation, that indicates man coverage on the backend. There were various occasions where Cleveland gave this indicator, but had a plan to switch into a zone behind it to throw off Jordan Love.
This coverage disguise even came into play on the biggest snap of the game when Grant Delpit intercepted Love and set up the game-tying touchdown. Cleveland showed man coverage indicators across the formation, but instead of Delpit staying with the tight end he was lined up over, he was in a zone who can read the quarterback's eyes while Ronnie Hickman picked up the tight end that Delpit looked to be covering. It worked to perfection, and ironically enough, was something Cleveland used in Schwartz's first season.
Mason Graham had his best game as a pass rusher so far
Early on, the returns for rookie Mason Graham are that he's been as advertised against the run but could use refinement as a pass rusher. Week 3 was easily his best pass-rushing game of his young career, totaling four pressures and his first career sack on a 16.7 pass rush win rate. For context, he trailed only Myles Garrett in pass rush snaps on the team (by one) and ranked 11th in pass rush win rate in Week 3 among defensive tackles with 25 pass rush snaps.
Almost the rest of the names on the list above Graham are the game's best interior defensive linemen, mostly because rookies at this position are rarely thrust right into a full-time role. Graham's get-off and use of hands were very good in this one, and he seems to have a great feel for d-line games with Maliek Collins.
Need better adjustments from edge on zone options & pin/pull runs
One weakness of Schwartz's aggressive defensive line philosophy is how susceptible they are to pin/pull run plays, where the play-side edge can be pinned by a receiver or tight end if they get as vertical as they usually do. The Browns need their edge rushers to be better at recognizing when these types of blocks are happening and stay flat to make the player actually block them while potentially re-directing the runner.
Additionally, the back side edge (often Isaiah McGuire on Sunday) got burnt on multiple boot legs and zone option runs. This probably won't be much of an issue most weeks, as they have a good history against the most mobile quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson. It always seems to be the guys who are athletic enough but not true rushing threats, which might be more of a game plan hole that Schwartz is willing to concede.