It is not a well-kept secret that the Cleveland Browns defense did a lot of heavy lifting last year. This unit was one of the primary reasons why they were able to win games despite sub-par quarterback play for most of the year. Cleveland was able to fortify this unit this offseason with a few additions of note. This clearly played a factor in where they were ranked among the rest of the NFL.
Checking in at the top spot is the Browns. Cleveland’s defensive unit was ranked as the NFL’s best following the draft in a recent article appearing on Bleacher Report. As noted in their entry, Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Year performance played a huge part in their success last season. Also mentioned was Cleveland’s defense being the best in yardage and EPA per play allowed.
While there is plenty of praise given for the unit, there is one notable area of concern. Redzone touchdowns allowed. The 71.1 percent touchdown rate for their opponents was the worst in the NFL last year. A major contributing factor to this, as stated in the article, is their very pedestrian rush defense. The Browns were right in the middle in the EPA per rush allowed department, ranking 15th overall. This is a livable number in the grand scheme of things, unlike their redzone touchdown percentage allowed, but it would be ideal if it improved next season.
There is a very good chance that the Browns will remain one of the NFL’s top defenses next season. Jim Schwartz has proven to be a worthwhile hire as Cleveland’s defensive coordinator and should have them in a position to be an elite unit again next year.
