BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Two games in, the defensive arrow isn’t exactly pointing upward.
The most alarming trend is on third down, where the Browns defense is allowing opponents to convert 61.5% of the time.
Defensive end Myles Garrett feels it’s a bit too early to go smashing the panic button.
“It’s only been two games,” Garrett said Friday afternoon. “We need a larger sample size to see that. At the beginning of the season, everyone’s gotta make adjustments. [There’s] Not a lot of film on guys, so we just have to work with what we got and improve upon what we’ve done and not try to put the fire out. It’s not a fire yet.”
The Browns defensive rankings aren’t at the bottom of the league.
The 27.0 points per game allowed ranks tied for 21st. The 349.5 average yards allowed per game is 14th leaguewide. The pass defense is ranked 23rd and run defense ninth.
So it’s not all bad, but the slow start defensively considering the money and draft picks spent this offseason to rebuild it already has defensive coordinator Joe Woods in fans’ crosshairs.
“That’s what happens when you have a lot of new guys,” Garrett said. “Gotta find out what their tendencies are, not only as a player but as a coach – what you can do with them and where he can put them to make plays – and so right now he’s trying to find the best way to make plays with the pieces that he has.
“We’re chess pieces and he’s a player right now. Right now, we gotta see what we’re made of and how we can make the most of ourselves out on the field. We have a lot of great players. It’s just how he mixes it up and how he chooses to do [it].”
Garrett is the king on the chess board.
Opponents are throwing multiple bodies at him to neutralize him, something he admits frustrates him. Not because of the attention he demands, but the lack of splash plays being made around him.
“It’s tough watching my teammates not be able to make a play,” Garrett said. “When I see an offense keying on me with chips and stuff like that, I feel like well, they’re taking a player out of a play to stop me, so we have one on none and to see they’re not making a play, it’s kind of frustrating because I want to see them go out there and make big plays. We gotta get there.”
The Browns have just three sacks – one by Garrett – and opposing quarterbacks are completing 69.2% of their passes through two games.
They’ve yet to create a turnover with a fumble recovery or interception.
According to Pro Football Focus, Garrett recorded eight total pressures and five hurries against the Chiefs but last week against the Texans did not register a single pressure.
“I don’t think I’ve been chipped so much in my life,” Garrett said.
Garrett feels the attention he’s commanding should lead to opportunities for his teammates.
“I’m trying to take up two, three men, however many to take out of the pass or the run, so we have to take advantage of that,” Garrett said. “And I know that they’re not always going to do that for me. They’re going to do that for other players as they step in and start making big plays, but right now we all have to make plays. We all have to earn that respect.”
The film doesn’t lie.
The rush and coverage elements have yet to come together and until it does, the problems getting off the field will likely persist.
“Sometimes I’m there and the coverage is just slightly off or sometimes I’m getting chipped and there’s a tight end trying to push down on [Jadeveon] Clowney and inside is shutting down because it’s max protection,” Garrett said. “The DBs are making them hold the ball for forever but we’re stuck in a mine so it’s tough. We just gotta find a way.”