Following the Cleveland Browns 21-15 Week Three loss to the New York Giants, the Browns’ defensive leader Myles Garrett made a promise that the team would do better moving forward. That promise failed to come to fruition as Cleveland fell to the Las Vegas Raiders 20-16 in Week Four.
The loss dropped the Browns record to 1-3 on the season, prompting defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to proclaim that the team is playing like a 1-3 defense right now, according to The Chronicle-Telegram’s Scott Petrak on X.
Schwartz’s declaration is a bit of an overstatement as the Browns are ranked 11th in total defense. The unit is stronger against the pass than they are against the run, as Cleveland ranks 10th overall in passing defense and 19th in rushing defense.
Despite not missing any games, Garrett has been banged up this season. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year fought through a foot injury in the team’s Week Two win over the Jaguars in Jacksonville. And Garrett was dealing with injuries to his foot, thigh and Achilles in the lead-up to the Browns’ Week Four game against the Raiders. The ailments have slowed Garrett but he still has produced four sacks, two forced fumbles and nine combined tackles in four games this year.
The Browns’ defense has been all bark, no bite so far this season
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Cleveland played the first month of the season without defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., who the team selected in the second round of the 2024 draft. Hall Jr. opened the season on the commissioner’s exempt list due to a domestic violence incident. The league ultimately suspended the rookie defender without pay for five games. He’s eligible to make his NFL debut in Week Six when the Browns take on the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Cleveland also lost cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. in the fourth quarter of the team’s Week Four loss to the Raiders. Emerson Jr. entered the concussion protocol and must receive clearance before returning to the field.
While Schwartz’s group hasn’t performed as the elite unit many anticipated after the Browns finished the 2023 season number one in total defense, the team’s offense has been the bigger concern this season. Cleveland’s investment in Deshaun Watson appears to be historically bad as the quarterback has been awful since joining the team. This season the Browns are 27th in the league in scoring, with an average of 16.5 points per game. Cleveland’s offense is 31st in the NFL in total yards, averaging just 246.3 per game through the first four weeks of 2024.
