The Cleveland Browns have hung their hat on their defense. They have consistently fielded an elite unit, and even with Myles Garrett's departure, they still project to be strong in 2026.
However, while they've been mostly elite at shutting down the run and putting pressure on the quarterback, they haven't necessarily done much to flip the field. They can get stops with the best of them, but they don't typically create many takeaways.
According to second-year linebacker Carson Schwesinger, that's about to change this season.
New defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg has placed an emphasis on generating turnovers — and everyone in the building is being more aggressive.
"You can see that it's on guys' minds," Schwesinger told the team. "That's what happens when you preach that type of mindset. It gets drilled in and when guys are out there it doesn't matter, maybe you miss your assignment (and) all this, but at the end of the day, at the end of the play, all you got to be thinking about is the ball."
Mike Rutenberg wants the Browns hunting takeaways instead of simply forcing stops
The Browns haven't finished a regular season with a positive turnover differential since 2020, and their offense isn't entirely to blame. Cleveland finished tied for fifth in takeaways in 2023 en route to a playoff berth. It fell to 30th and 22nd over the past two seasons, respectively, with the team winning a total of eight games.
While training camp and the preseason should always be taken with a grain of salt, that new approach was crystal clear in the offseason. Defensive backs were all over the field, picking off passes and making plays on the ball.
Schwesinger actually got off to a solid start in that regard as a rookie. He had two interceptions and added three pass breakups as a rookie. The Browns also added a true ball hawk in Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, whose closing speed and physicality could make him a fumble-forcing machine once he gets consistent playing time.
Denzel Ward is elite in coverage and can disrupt the catch point with the best of them, but he's never been much of a ball-hawk. He's a finished product at this point in his career, but even he might take more chances and gamble a bit more to force takeaways.
The Browns' offense is a work in progress, so to speak. They finally have some promising playmakers who can bring that unit back to the 21st century after years of subpar play. However, it might be a while before they can get up to speed and catch up to the defense.
They may not win many shootouts, but the Browns could surprise some people this year if the defense does its part. That group usually keeps the team in games, and a return to the top third of the NFL in takeaways could help that trend continue in 2026.
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