To say the Browns' offense is struggling right now would be putting it lightly, coming off a nine-point effort in Pittsburgh, where they failed to find the end zone. It was evident that the defense was going to be the strength of the team all offseason, but the questions that persisted on the offensive side of the ball have mostly become concerns.
Cleveland's defense ranks third in the fewest yards per game allowed, yet it allows the 11th-most points per game. Opposing offenses are getting tons of chances until field position is in their favor and wearing the defense down as the game goes on.
Myles Garrett explains how offensive struggles have affected defense
During his media availability on Friday, Myles Garrett was asked if he feels opposing quarterbacks are getting the ball out faster than ever. In a lengthy response, Garrett explained the issues with how the Browns' lack of offense has affected their ability to be lockdown on the defensive side of the ball.
"It’s only gotten worse with time. I mean, without the threat of us putting up a lot of points, they have no fear of running the score up or punting. So, it’s like, we can punt, we’ll get the ball back, eventually we’ll wear them down and we’ll start to score eventually. And in their heads, it’s like, ‘no, we don’t have to do much’. And so, we’ve got to get that out of their minds, whether that’s by taking more risks on defense or scoring more points on offense, we’ve got to kind of dissuade them from that. And that’s how we can have more effect on the game as defenders, especially as myself. You know, if they don’t feel the need to hold the ball or to take risks, well, it’s hard for us to do anything, especially if they’re not going to hold the ball. They want to run the ball, they’re going to get it out quick, going to play action, roll the pocket, chip. All this, it’s just putting more obstacles in the way from us as playmakers on defensive side from doing what we know we can do."Myles Garrett
To sum it up, teams are content getting the ball out quickly and keeping their quarterback out of harm's way, even though it leads to more incompletions and punts. Because the opposing offense knows they aren't going to have to win a shootout game, they are minimizing risk for their quarterback and sticking with the game plan to wear the defense down as the game progresses.
The upcoming test against Miami should be their easiest yet, as the Dolphins allow the third-most yards per game and the most rushing yards per game. With weather expected to include severe winds and some rain, the Browns will need to establish their run game and have a strong offensive outing to allow the defense to play to its full potential.