How Jim Schwartz’s defense has propelled the Browns to an unlikely playoff berth

of cleveland browns The offense is starting five quarterbacks, has been without star running back Nick Chubb since Week 2, is without its top three offensive tackles on the season and leads the NFL in turnovers. In any other season of Browns football, this would be a one-way ticket to a top-10 draft pick. Still, the 2023 Browns have clinched a spot in the competitive AFC postseason with one week left.

Joe Flacco's comeback is amazing in and of itself, but the performance of Cleveland's defense all season is the main reason why Cleveland finished with an improbable 11-6 record.

Jim Schwartz; Assistant Coach of the Year?

Don't be fooled by its modest 13th place in points allowed rankings. The Browns have an elite defense. After firing defensive coordinator Joe Woods at the end of last season, Cleveland hired Super Bowl-winning DC Jim Schwartz. philadelphia eagles.The former Detroit Lions head coach led a top-10 unit in Philadelphia, Tennessee and spent one season managing the Detroit Lions. buffalo bills'Defense.

Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II told The Athletic that Schwartz told him in his first team meeting that they “lead the NFL in three things: effort, passion and swagger.” I don't have great metrics at hand, but he certainly leads the NFL in many other categories.

Cleveland's defensive superiority was most evident at home, where they allowed just 125 points in nine games and went 8-1.only baltimore ravens (28) And jacksonville jaguars (27) was able to score over 20 points in Cleveland, with both teams scoring multiple touchdowns on drives that started in Browns territory after turnovers.even san francisco 49ers The Juggernaut was held to just 17 points and only 3.4 yards per play.

The hallmark of a good defense is to make a bad offense look even worse, and the Browns accomplished that repeatedly.Led by Clayton Tune arizona cardinals and led by Ryan Tannehill. tennessee titans was limited to Combined 3 points and 152 yards of total offense.

Cleveland's offense ranks 28th in DVOA, by far the worst of this year's playoff teams. If the Browns' defense was simply above average and not contending for the best spot in the NFL, it's almost certain that the Browns would already be in offseason mode.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski is a natural candidate for Coach of the Year, but Schwartz should at least be a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year given what the group has accomplished. .

More than Myles Garrett

There's no question that pass-rusher extraordinaire Myles Garrett is the cornerstone of this defense, and he could win his first Defensive Player of the Year award at next month's NFL Honors, but he never will. It's far from a one-man show.

A lot of credit goes to the Browns' front office, led by general manager Andrew Berry, for their ability to discover defensive talent throughout the NFL Draft. 3rd year linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah emerges as one of Cleveland's breakout stars, finished the regular season fourth among all defensive players in tackles for loss (20). Promising secondary players include fourth-year safety Grant Delpit, sixth-year standout corner Denzel Ward, and up-and-coming corners Martin Emerson Jr. (2022 third-round pick) and Greg Newsome. The second generation (2021 first round pick) is featured. collect, Opposing quarterback targets cornerback trio For the season, he completed just 52 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and eight interceptions. Fourth-year defensive tackle Jordan Elliott has played less minutes compared to last season, but is still a top-10 player this season. ESPN's run-stop winning percentage metric.

Cleveland also revamped its once-maligned defensive line through free agent signings and trades. Veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith was acquired for two fifth-round picks and is second on the team in sacks.former minnesota vikings Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson signed a four-year deal with Cleveland and ranks second in run-stop winning percentage while commanding a high double-team rate. Former Houston Texan Ogbo Okoronkwo recorded a career-high 12 tackles (third-most on the team) in a rotational role.

The Browns' depth has been tested at multiple positions, including safety, with undrafted rookie Ronnie Hickman and undrafted second-year player Danthony Bell in the starting lineup due to injuries.

What are their weaknesses?

Cleveland ranks No. 1 in DVOA defense at home, by far, but drops to 9th on the road. Barring the greatest insanity of all time, there will be no more home games this season. The five worst-performing games in terms of total expected points added (EPA) were all road games, including one pointless, backup-laden away game in Game 18 of Week 18. It was a defeat in battle. cincinnati bengals. In the regular season, they dominated the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, but CJ Stroud missed the game due to a concussion.

The Browns' run defense has improved considerably over the past few seasons, but it's not spectacular. they are one of the worst in the league He had a big problem with rushing, allowing over 10 yards and turning missed tackles into big yards after contact.

Cleveland has allowed only an NFL-best 42 red zone trips, but they have also allowed red zone touchdowns at a league-worst 71.4% clip. The Browns offense's tendency to turn the ball over inside Cleveland's red zone and give the ball to opponents hasn't helped matters.

Finally, the injury bug plaguing Cleveland's offense has also spread to its defense. Delpit did not return for Saturday's wild-card game against the Houston Texans due to a groin injury, and Denzel Ward hurt his knee during practice Thursday and is questionable to play, but he has been replaced at linebacker in recent weeks. Anthony Walker and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst. Jr. on season-ending IR.

The Browns may have a hard time making it to the Super Bowl, but they have a Super Bowl-caliber defense and can compete with anyone.