It took just one game for the Browns to regret trading Za'Darius Smith

The Cleveland Browns can find a lot of ways to lose a game this season. Be it their secondary completely whiffing on coverage multiple times against a sharp passer like Justin Herbert or three interceptions thrown in must-score drives from Jameis Winston, this year's Browns can be a painful watch at times.

But, one constant for the team has been their impeccable defense. Specifically, the defensive line has been huge in preventing easy scores and putting major pressure on quarterbacks who spend too much team reading through their options down the field. For a Week 11 contest against a bad offensive line like the Saints have, it'd be expected that the Browns' D-line would be feasting.

Read more: Dawand Jones leaves Week 11 game against Saints with bad leg injury

You'd be wrong to have had that expectation.

They gave up, full stop. In the fourth, and with the team down one touchdown, there was zero resistance to be found against multiple packages featuring Taysom Hill, who was just running over Browns defenders for multiple huge runs and scores. Hill was a force, and he poked holes in the Browns' defense that were never previously there. It was jarring to watch and amounted to the team's eighth loss of the season. And, potentially, just their first loss of the week.

Cleveland decided to trade away Za'Darius Smith, one of their best defensive ends this season, to the Detroit Lions to continue to shore up their draft pick stash. One issue with that - outside of Myles Garrett, there's a ton of inexperience on the D-line that has left them vulnerable in the wake of his departure. That was on full display in Week 11 as the Saints immediately score on their first drive of the game with very little resistance from the D-line or Cleveland's secondary.

The lack of resistance wasn't entirely on the D-line in the Saints game - as mentioned, the secondary was shoddy and once again lacking in key communication with deep passes thrown by Carr or Taysom Hill. But, with even Garrett struggling to get pressure, it was a long afternoon for an often reliable unit. Smith's absence was felt.

Take this medicine in addition to the fact that Smith contributed a sack and multiple pressures for the Lions against the struggling Jacksonvilel Jaguars in Week 11, and you have the makings of a very bitter loss to swallow for the Browns. While the team may be in tank mode, you would have never guessed it from how well Winston, the receivers, and Cleveland's offense was playing all game. It felt thrown away, and it stung badly by the end of the contest.

More Browns news and analysis