The Opening Drive 8/11: Sour Relationship with the JET Sweep Takes a Turn
When a scheme that has hurt you for years comes back full circle.
The Browns are back in Berea today, ready to grind through another week of Training Camp. Sure, there will be more flying and joint practices coming with the Eagles before their game this weekend, but early in the week they’re still sorting out game film, injuries, and more. Playing on a Friday can mess with your sense of NFL normalcy. For now, they’ll get out on the field and work on their craft for another few days before the trip out east.
We learned this morning that “feel-good” story Luke Floriea, the local Mentor product, is going to be down for a while with a sore hamstring. It’s a stark reminder of how hard it is to stick with a franchise in the NFL when you go undrafted. You just need so many things to go your way. Floriea was always unlikely to make the roster, but the practice squad would have been ideal for him. He works hard and has some of the necessary skill to perhaps crack a late-season roster. We’ll see where the injury goes from here, but it’s safe to say we’re all pulling for him.
Before we dive into today’s topic, here’s a reminder of the recent work on BFB, including that deep dive on Shedeur Sanders’ Week 1 performance.
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Also, in case you missed this funny moment between Myles Garrett and Sanders late in the Carolina game, it’s worth your time.
If you have paid any attention to my Browns coverage over the last two seasons you understand my disdain for the JET or FLY sweep. Technically, as I was raised in football, anything from the shotgun handed off (or soft tossed) is a JET sweep and anything under-center is a FLY sweep. But let’s not get too lost in those details. We will just go with JET for the consistency of discussion.
The Browns defense has been among the worst defending it because of their core philosophy and it has drove me crazy. They surrendered the 30th most yards to the scheme since 2023. The number allowed isn’t overwhelming but it’s enough to annoy me to no end — especially for such a simple scheme.
I’m prepared to be hurt by it once again this year until I get some hard evidence they can solve it but we will save that for another day. The offense, though, has never mastered its usage under Kevin Stefanski. Never quite the right personnel for it, or the right time to use it, or whatever else. It has never clicked and it has hurt them in bigger moments trying to use the concept.
All of this scar tissue evidence is the means to set up something great. The Cleveland Browns football team properly applied the sweep concept in a big moment of a football game and it was a welcome change.
On a late third quarter situation, 4th and short to be precise, the Browns lined up in 12 personnel with a Y-Y wing formation. They set up that heavy side to the boundary to run the sweep into their bigger bodies. In order for the scheme to find success they had to block, or deceive, the playside EDGE, cornerback, and inside linebacker. Those of which are highlighted for you below. You miss on one of them then play is likely to fail.
The EDGE goes inside, the two tight ends get to the cornerback and linebacker, and we have a play, folks. Gage Larvadain (84) also does well throttling down to let his blocker’s flow create the cutback lane.
The right tackle, Kevin Zierer (54), also does well adjusting from the planned pursuit of the MIKE linebacker, who disappears inside, and into a lateral course for the safety. The MIKE being fooled is a great example of why you carry out the flash fake to the running back after handing it off to the JET.
It’s a thing of beauty from the endzone view when it all comes together like this. The Browns could really benefit from having this in their bag this season. Effectively stretching the field horizontally can change so much for the vertical shot plays everyone wants to get weekly.
Stefanski spoke to the media about the need to get work in all of their run styles in the preseason and how pleased he was with their variety in Week 1. “So, you want to get the screen game going to the running backs and the screen to the wide receivers. You want to try different route combinations for guys to show what they can do. Different run schemes; we had wide zone, tight zone, gap schemes. We kind of did it all last night, including a jet sweep to Gage (Larvadain) for the touchdown. We want to win because they’re keeping score so, ultimately you want to do that, but you also want to vary your run types, vary your pass types so you’re learning more about each one of your players.”
The more variation the better in the preseason. Keep your best tendencies hidden and keep working on the craft. If the Browns can do that, and get used to winning expectations again, then that is a successful ramp up to the 2025 season.
There will be plenty of rookie Film Room coverage coming your way in the next 24 hours so keep yourself dialed in. If you’re not with us in a subscriber capacity you’ll want to rectify that asap. Don’t miss it. Catch you guys soon. I appreciate you.
Browns Film Breakdown has a Mason Graham and Carson Schwesinger All-22 Film Room cooking, so stay ready!
What key leads the edge to commit inside? It looks like this was an assumption in the play as no one even looked at him