The Cleveland Browns faced off against one of the hottest offenses in the league on Sunday, in the Carolina Panthers, and it was the Browns defense that made a statement. Cleveland won the game 21-18, limiting the Panthers to four field goals and just one touchdown.
In the first two weeks of the season, Carolina averaged 35.5 points per game, scoring 37 in Week 1 and 34 in Week 2. However, in Week 3, the Panthers looked like a completely different unit, and the Browns defense is the reason why.
That’s great news for Cleveland, because its offense is still a work in progress. Any path to a decent season this year for the Browns included the team being really good defensively. Obviously, Cleveland was elite on defense a year ago, but there was a question whether or not the unit could meet that standard without Myles Garrett, and while having a first-time defensive coordinator in Mike Rutenberg.
On Sunday, the Browns proved they are absolutely capable of being an elite defense again.
Browns' new-look defense has quickly evolved into a reliable unit
Cleveland’s defense did it all on Sunday. The unit recorded a takeaway, had three sacks, limited Carolina to 4-of-15 on third down, and didn’t give up a single fourth down conversion, despite the Panthers going for it three times.
The most exciting thing was the emergence of new playmakers. Guys like Denzel Ward, Grant Delpit, and Carson Schwesinger did what they were expected to do, but Cleveland got a ton of impact plays out of other guys.
Linebacker Quincy Williams, who signed with the team this offseason, was all over the field on Sunday. He led the Browns with nine tackles, one for a loss, and really created a dominant duo with Schwesinger. Second-year defensive tackle Mason Graham was the real star of the show, recording seven tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for a loss.
The entire defensive line turned the heat up, frequently collapsing the pocket, and Cleveland’s cornerback depth showed up huge. Starting corner Tyson Campbell missed Sunday’s game, but Mekhi Blackmon held his own, despite being targeted a lot. That’s especially encouraging, because cornerback depth was the biggest concern for the defense after training camp.
Overall, the Browns defense now has back-to-back weeks with really good performances, and it’s not a coincidence that the team won those two games. Offensively, Cleveland is still figuring things out, so the team is very clearly relying on the defense to keep it in games. The defense did its part the last two weeks, and the offense came through with some timely scores.
As long as Cleveland’s defense shows up like it has the last two weeks, the Browns should be in every game. If the offense can ever develop into a more consistent unit, and the defense continues to play at this level, Cleveland will be a dangerous team.
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