Cleveland Browns: Two Issues stand out on defense

The Cleveland Browns defense is certainly better than it was last season, but two issues stand out in what is still a young season; rushing the passer and free safety.

The Cleveland Browns defense had their worst performance of the season to date against the Indianapolis Colts. In all, they gave up 31 points, gave up a number of explosive plays and for the second time this season, they’ve let one receiver completely dismantle the defense. All the news isn’t bad, but the issues that are hurting the Browns aren’t necessarily easy to fix.

Coming into the season, the Browns really put an emphasis stopping the run. In terms of raw rushing yards, the Browns are 14th in rushing yards at 87.7 per game, which isn’t bad, but it could be better. For yards per attempt, the Browns so far are fifth in the NFL, giving up just 3.1 yards per carry. That’s definitely headed in the right direction.

What this says is the Browns do a pretty good job in stopping the run on any given down, but that teams are running at them a lot. Being down in the second halves of games, some of this caused by the defense itself, is the reason. Teams are trying to shorten games, eat clock and assure victory.

Where the Browns defense has a big problem is in the passing game and it starts up front. The Browns are getting next to nothing from the front four rushing the passer. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams responds by blitzing, sending more players at the quarterback. Obviously, if the Browns are sending five, six, or even seven players at the passer, that means they have fewer guys in coverage.

When the Browns aren’t able to get pressure on the quarterback with all of those pass rushers, the windows down the field are that much bigger. It enables even a decent quarterback to find open receivers. And when that receiver is a stud like Antonio Brown or T.Y. Hilton, average plays become big plays and big plays become game changing plays.

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Part and parcel with having windows to exploit the secondary is the fact that those defenders are having a difficult time tackling the receivers when they catch the ball. This was on display as Hilton was able to catch a pass on a well designed play from the Colts, but bad angles enabled him to score a touchdown instead of just move the ball down the field.

This has been particularly problematic for Jabrill Peppers. The rookie has taken some horrible tackling angles and used bad technique in trying to make tackles. The result is Peppers is often out of position and not making a confident tackle. Obviously, there’s a bit of a learning curve with playing free safety and balancing wanting to be aggressive but smart as the last line of defense.

Critics of Peppers will point to the Ohio State game in his final year where that terrible play against Hilton looked similar to a few plays where Peppers was make a play on J.T. Barrett in space. It’s not unfair to point out that Peppers had this problem in that game and came to the NFL with it. Regardless, it has to get better or Peppers is not going to be a long term solution at free safety and have to move over to strong.

That’s not the end of the world as Peppers has a lot to offer the strong safety position but they can’t then have Peppers and a player like Derrick Kindred on the field at the same time. In other words, unless their one true free safety in Kai Nacua is the answer, they’ll need to add it in the offseason, likely through the draft.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – SEPTEMBER 24: T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts runs for a touchdown after a catch against the Cleveland Browns during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 24, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Browns are living a bit of a lie at corner as well. Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun have played reasonably well, but neither really appears to be an answer as a starting corner. They should be the nickel and dime corners, where they’d be fantastic. Jason McCourty has played out of his mind and been a huge benefit to this secondary, but that’s not a long term answer either. Mike Jordan might be able to help but to this point hasn’t gotten on the field.

It’s just an area where the Browns are going to need to keep adding talent, especially in the upcoming NFL Draft. They knew that going into this season, so it’s not a surprise or a disappointment. It’s just reality.

The other issue ineffective blitzes cause, which Jacoby Brissett exploited on one touchdown, is massive running lanes for a quarterback. When the Browns send blitzes and they don’t get the sack or even properly contain the quarterback, there is a ton of space on the field for the quarterback to gash a defense with his legs.

Getting back to the defensive line, Emmanuel Ogbah has been a pretty stout run defender. He’s also got a knack for getting up and knocking down the occasional pass. What he isn’t doing to this point is providing any threat as a pass rusher.

When Ogbah was drafted, it was clear he was going to be a project. At Oklahoma State, he was simply bigger, faster and stronger than everyone else and produced at a good rate as a result. He has to improve in terms of his technique and hand use, so he can take on and shed blockers more effectively. At this point, his pass rushing impact is non-existent to and his playing time is taking a hit as a result.

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Even as a rookie where he led the team with five sacks, Ogbah usually got home on a stunt. He also ate up the woeful Cedric Ogbuehi of the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s got an NFL body and needs to develop an NFL game. The circumstances are showing why that’s a problem in the short term.

Carl Nassib and Nate Orchard provide the occasional near miss in the backfield, but neither of them is beating one-on-one situations to be a consistent problem. That has to improve as well. Someone has to be able to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks with some consistency.

Help may be on the way in the form of the team’s No. 1 overall pick, Myles Garrett. And if the high ankle sprain did nothing else, it showed just how badly this team missed his presence. He immediately gives the Browns defensive line an advantage.

Opponents have not been able to single block Garrett to this point. At some point the Browns will face an opponent with a left tackle that might be up to the task, but for the moment, teams have to game plan to stop Garrett. As a result, it makes everyone on the defensive line more dangerous. And if they blitz as Gregg Williams loves to do, the stress level on the offensive front ramps up that much more.

It remains to be seen if Garrett will be cleared to play against the Cincinnati Bengals, but given where he is in his rehab (out of the boot and doing things like jogging before the Colts game), it certainly seems like that’s where this is going. And the Browns, as an organization, need him badly. Currently 0-3, the Browns host an equally winless, divisional opponent in the Bengals at home.

The Bengals have one of the most vulnerable sets of offensive tackles in the NFL with Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi. A healthy Garrett should dominate either and help the Browns defensive line control the game in general.

That would enable the Browns to blitz less, have more players drop into coverage, shrink those passing windows and potentially cause turnovers. Garrett should also provide a small boost to a run defense that has shown a lot of improvement.

None of this changes the fact that Peppers has to become a better tackler in space and Ogbah and the rest of the defensive line simply need to get better at rushing the passer. Garrett’s presence should help to minimize some of those deficiencies, but it doesn’t solve them.

And there is an element where the Browns are incredibly young on defense and young players make a lot of mistakes, making the unit inconsistent. The Browns gave up 28 points in the first half and it was ugly. The good news is that in the second half, the defense stepped up, were far more effective getting pressure on the quarterback, and gave the offense a ton of opportunities to come back in the game.

The hole proved too deep and the Browns lost, but the defense only surrendered three points in the second half. This young defense isn’t giving up or laying down, which is important. Unfortunately, this becomes just another of the many moral victories this team has earned as opposed to actual wins.

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The Cleveland Browns have a ton of youth, talent and potential on defense. The growing pains are to be expected, though obviously frustrating. As the season goes along, more of that potential needs to become realized but the defense does appear to getting better. The pass rush and the play of Jabrill Peppers at free safety are going to be two areas to really focus on for the rest of the season as they may require further action.