The Green Bay Packers entered Week 3 as the hottest team in the NFL, and they were expected to roll right over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. However, Cleveland ultimately emerged victorious, winning 13-10. The reason the Browns were able to pull off this upset and pick up their first win of the season is that they have one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Through three weeks, Cleveland’s defense has done its part against opponents; that was again the case against the Packers. Unfortunately, the Browns aren’t getting the praise they deserve. Instead, everyone is criticizing Green Bay for not showing up, and questioning what went wrong. The answer is simple, though. The Packers ran into an elite defense, and it’s time everyone recognizes Cleveland as such.
It’s time for the NFL to recognize the Browns have an elite defense
Since Cleveland’s win, there have been discussions about Packers quarterback Jordan Love needing to be better, and also an analysis of why the Packers offense almost looked like a different unit than from the first two weeks. However, all of those talking points focus on Green Bay and what it didn’t do; very few people are acknowledging the role the Browns defense played.
That would be understandable if Sunday was an anomaly for Cleveland’s defense, but in reality, the stingy performance was on brand. All season, the Browns have really made things tough for opposing offenses. In Week 1, they limited a healthy Cincinnati Bengals team to just 17 points. In Week 2, the defense also performed well against the Baltimore Ravens, but that performance was hidden in the 41 points allowed, which had much more to do with poor play from the offense and special teams.
Against the Packers, the defense once again showed up, and also got some timely help from the special teams and the offense. That’s why the Browns were able to win. The league still doesn’t seem to get the message, though. With the Detroit Lions next up on the schedule, Cleveland will have the opportunity to make another statement.