RADIO
For years, the Cleveland Browns defense has been the source for punchlines as well as must-start designations for opposing fantasy football players. This year? Stop The Slander! The Browns defense is for real, and teams are feeling the hurt.
The last three years, Cleveland has finished in the bottom four for team defense. From a fantasy football perspective, a date with the Browns meant a healthy amount of points to your fantasy score, weekly. This season, in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.
The Browns currently rank 12th in team defense but that barely scratches the surface of how the Browns defense has transformed.
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The Factory of Sadness
The Cleveland Browns' recent history is a tale of misery and misfortune. It's 20 years long, but the tears could flow for an eternity. Up until Baker Mayfield's triumphant come-from-behind victory against the Jets, the Browns were the hallmark for futility. Through the lean years, the defense stunk. Outside of a few outlying years, offenses ran amok on the Browns and games against Cleveland were fantasy football gold.
Last season it all came to a head. While headlines focused on 0-16 campaign and 1-32 in two years, the Cleveland defense really did no favors. Only three times last season did Cleveland's defense finish in the top ten of a given week in fantasy scoring.
As a defensive unit, the Browns gave up the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. They finished dead-last last season with a mere 13 takeaways. They were 31st in points allowed/game (25.6) and scored just one touchdown the entire year. Yikes.
Turning the Corner
If winning more than one game in a season for the first time in two years wasn't a clear sign that this team is trending upwards, then one only need look at the bevy of talent Cleveland has on the defensive side of the ball.
Cleveland passed on Bradley Chubb. Many believed him to be the best defensive player in the draft. It showed a rare confidence in the front office that Cleveland had its edge rushers of the future. Myles Garrett battled through injuries and a concussion showing flashes of brilliance while trying to stay healthy. Combine Garrett with Emmanuel Ogbah and Larry Ogunjobi and the pieces were there.
Instead of Chubb, Cleveland went with Denzel Ward and have found themselves a lock-down corner. They also brought in a slew of defensive backs in the off-season. Jabril Peppers is playing closer to the ball and excelling. It has all led to Cleveland being stout in pass defense. Something that hasn't been said...maybe ever.
That was evident in the first two games of the season against Pittsburgh and New Orleans. Those two high-powered offenses could only muster a single hundred-yard receiver. After finishing last season with the fewest amount of takeaways, the Browns lead the league this season with 15 turnovers in just five games. That's two more than all of last season.
The Browns Don't Suck
Did you know the Browns are the No. 3 defense in fantasy football points scored this season? That's not including a sack, fumble, touchdown that was ruled "in the grasp" against Oakland in Week 4.
The decision to take Ward with the fourth pick received a mixed bag on draft day, but the returns have been impressive through five weeks. According to Pro Football Focus, "Cornerback Denzel Ward has allowed an average of 0.92 yards per coverage snap. Since 2006, this is the second-best mark for a rookie outside cornerback after Week 5. He’s done this despite being tied for the second-most targeted cornerback this year. "
Myles Garrett is coming into his own on the edge, causing 18 pressures through five games, tied for 17th in the league. Joe Schobert ranks first in the NFL among linebackers in both yards per cover snap (0.26) and cover snaps per reception (32.2). Shobert's stellar coverage is one of the main reasons, opposing tight ends--as a unit--are averaging 46.6 yards per game. Only three times this season has any opposing pass catcher totaled over 100 yards receiving. Two of those times came in an overtime game against Oakland.
According to Football Outsiders' DVOA, Cleveland touts the second-best defensive unit in the league.
The joke is over.
So abandon the well-imprinted memory of what the Cleveland defense used to be. The days of finishing near the bottom of the NFL is a thing of the past. With a young core and a well-versed defensive coordinator, the best is still yet to come. So Stop The Slander! The Cleveland Browns defense is for real. Yes, really.
