The Opening Drive 9/30: Jim Schwartz and the Browns Defense Found Their Changeup
Mixing competent coverage deception with this pass rush is borderline unfair.
In the midst of another loss where the offense sputtered, the Browns defense continued their stellar play. They held a vaunted Lions offense to just 277 total yards, had Jared Goff seeing ghosts on key dropbacks, and created a turnover in the opponent’s territory. They did enough to win the game yet again. As they have returned to 2023’s form, I wanted to check on some data points I am noticing through the first four weeks.
Jim Schwartz’s defense needed more adjustments last year. It became stale and predictable and it started to show throughout the year. He even mentioned as much. They couldn’t find enough deception and unpredictability to return to their 2023 type of dominance. This year they have found some key alterations to help their pass rush get home. They are playing more man coverage this year than last (by about 10%) but their variety has increased. They will play man from off coverage looks, Cover-3 looks, and sometimes Cover-2. They are using more Cover-6 (quarters and Cover-2 hybrid) and making it look like man coverage pre-snap. They are messing with opposing quarterbacks and the benefits are clear.
Against the Browns defense, opposing quarterbacks yards per attempt are down by over a full yard this year from last. Air yards per attempt is also down nearly two full yards. Their pressure percentage is up, and defensive success percentage has gone up. Everywhere you look the group is improved from last year. Yes, the defensive line talent has improved, but also the coverage is finally making opposing quarterbacks think — and they have faced some of the league’s best through four weeks.
The first third down from Sunday against the Lions paints a very clear picture of how the Browns defense is getting these veteran quarterbacks uncomfortable at a higher rate. Let’s dig into the details.
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In specific portions of the last two years, it was easy to identify when the league’s smarter quarterbacks were able to decipher the Browns coverage. In those instances it usually led to big plays for the opposing offense and it happened at too high a rate. The key focus this year is more pre-snap alignment changes and post-snap movement.
In the Lions first third down of the game, a 3rd and 7 near midfield, the Browns met the Lions 3x1 set with a mug front (linebacker walked up into the line-of-scrimmage) but also made it look like closed coverage (single safety). This usually means a quarterback is thinking man coverage of some kind or Cover-3. But the Browns are setting up a different look.
The Lions send Sam LaPorta on a short “exit” motion to try to identify if the Browns stick in their zone look or give a man coverage indicator. Ronnie Hickman (deep safety) slides wider with the motion and that lets Goff know this could be some form of man with a pressure look.
On the snap, though, the Browns get weird. they punch Grant Delpit out of the box (to the wide side) to be the flat defender to Goff’s left, and get into a Tampa-2 hybrid look. Hickman has deep half, Greg Newsome (CB at the top of the photo) is your deep half to the left, and they have Cason Schwesinger running for deep middle. Goff was not prepared for this.
The Browns field coverage brackets the three-man concept and then even when Goff wants to get to his backside dig, the linebackers have dropped into that window as well.
This gives pass rush enough time to rattle Goff and he has to check it down well short of the sticks for the third down stop. Watch it from the wide view here.
From the endzone view you can see how quickly Goff was rattled working off the primary to the backside. Perfect coverage.
If the Browns can keep mixing these exotic looks in with their front four’s ability to get home without sending extra bodies, it will be tough for opposing quarterbacks to find success on second and third downs. This, folks, is the good stuff. Props to Schwartz and this secondary.
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Browns Film Breakdown will return later today with full All-22 from the defense.
Excellent write up. Exciting to see them evolve.