For as long as football has been played, coaches have yearned for a fast start on offense. The obsession with wanting to be the team that lands the first punch is palpable, and most coaches openly speak about it. On defense, the same concept applies.
After a week of preparation, defenses should theoretically have the advantage, at least early on. NFL offenses change from week to week, to be sure, but not nearly at the magnitude that defenses do. A chess piece — like safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, for example — might play nearly every snap one week and be relegated to a reserve role the next week as the coaches opt for heavier personnel.
Despite the Herculean effort put forth by defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg's unit almost every week this season, it has had one major Achilles heel: the opening quarter. One would think, with the benefit of a game plan that is not fully unveiled until the first whistle, a defense this talented would be impenetrable.
Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case for the Cleveland Browns.
Quarter | Points Allowed per Game | Yards Allowed per Game | Yards Allowed per Play |
|---|---|---|---|
First Quarter | 8.1 (32nd) | 103.6 (31st) | 6.7 (32nd) |
Second Quarter | 4.0 (3rd) | 65.9 (3rd) | 3.8 (1st) |
Third Quarter | 3.8 (8th) | 77.5 (17th) | 5.3 (11th) |
Fourth Quarter | 5.8 (8th) | 76.5 (5th) | 5.1 (13th) |
If Mike Rutenberg fixes the Browns' first-quarter woes, this defense can be elite
The splits tell an interesting story. The Browns get their doors blown off in the first quarter before settling in and becoming an immovable force in the second quarter. While they haven't been exactly perfect in the second half, there's not much to complain about, either.
The Browns' defense is fantastic, but there's another level to be reached.
Some of the league's top defenses (and best teams overall), like the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks, impose their will early and attempt to keep that momentum going throughout the game. Obviously, no defense is perfect, and the other side gets paid, too.
No one should be expecting a stop on every drive. Nonetheless, a unit featuring standouts like Denzel Ward, Carson Schwesinger, Tyson Campbell, Maliek Collins, Mason Graham, Grant Delpit, and Jared Verse has no business getting boat-raced out of the gates. The unit as a whole is legitimately talented and capable — it's just about putting it all together.
Rutenberg bears some of the blame here, too. The game plans he is designing, for whatever reason, are either not being executed, too predictable, or simply ineffective. For all of the youth the Browns have on offense, the defense has plenty of veterans, including the aforementioned Ward, Campbell, Collins, and Delpit.
If the Browns wish to crash the playoffs this year, their performance in the first quarter on defense would be a good place to start. With quarterback Shedeur Sanders getting his first start in Week 9 in place of the injured Deshaun Watson, perhaps the final question of whether the offense can even be middle of the pack in 2026 will be answered. Consider me hopeful, but wary.
The Cleveland Browns' defense has shown tangible signs of being a true force this season. They represent not only the franchise's strong suit, but also its path to the playoffs.
If Mike Rutenberg can get the first quarters under control, the Browns just may crash the party in 2026.
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