Entering the 2026 season, everyone knew the Cleveland Browns offense would be a work in progress. The defense, however, was expected to be a quality unit that gave the offense space to work through growing pains.
For the most part, Cleveland’s defense has done just that this season, but the unit didn’t come through in Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints.
It may seem odd to be criticizing a defense that had only given up six points in the first three quarters, and nine points total by the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, but the unit didn’t end the game when it had the chance.
The Browns scored a go-ahead touchdown with 5:21 left in the fourth quarter, and the defense immediately forced a three-and-out. However, when the Saints got the ball back with under two minutes remaining and no timeouts, they put together a six-play, 55-yard drive to score a touchdown in just 50 seconds.
Again, the Cleveland offense responded, driving 41 yards in seven plays and 50 seconds to force overtime, but the Browns' defense was nowhere to be found in the extra period. The Saints got the ball first and marched right down the field, going 74 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown. The Browns’ offense matched with a touchdown of their own, but lost the game on a failed two-point attempt.
In the end, it was Cleveland’s offense making plays — and the defense that let the team down.
Browns can’t afford for defense to disappear late in games
The Browns have followed a clear formula to win games this season: play good defense and make clutch plays offensively. That strategy was about to pick up Cleveland its sixth win of the season, but the Browns' defense only executed the formula for 58 minutes of a 60-minute game.
In fairness to the defense, it could have just been an off day in the clutch, which even the greatest units have. Unfortunately, the fear is that this could be the start of a trend, because the unit has been displaying some concerning problems.
The biggest one is that Cleveland can’t stop the run. The Saints entered Sunday’s game as one of the worst rushing units in the league, but put up 160 yards on the ground on the Browns, averaging 5 yards a rush. That was the key in New Orleans’ overtime drive, which ultimately forced Cleveland to go for two since so much time had run off the clock.
If the run defense remains an issue, and the defense’s late-game play in general proves to be more than a one-off, the Browns will need to reevaluate their approach to games.
Currently, the team is banking on the defense being strong. If the unit falls short again, the Browns may have to evolve into a more aggressive team offensively.
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