The Big Hitter's Corner

07/10/2024

Fabulous win.

Jones is starting to stack good performances after his rough Week 1 outing.

23/09/2024

Finally, Giants get a W

The Giants had a pretty good day for the most part against the Cleveland Browns.

21/09/2024

Let's Look at the Cleveland Browns Defense (plus Special Teams)

Cleveland Browns Defense

Jim Schwartz defense plays defense like an act war. No prisoners taken, none expected. Except for five years as head coach of the Lions, Schwartz has been an NFL DC for 24 consecutive seasons. His style is that swagger and toughness. Scwartz expects his defenders to express aggression and cockiness, what he has referred as "badassery." His defenses feature a ferocious pass rush, blitzes from all angles, and rugged m-2-m coverages.

Schwartz' base defense is a 4-2-5 set. He utilizes four defensive linemen every down, with about a 40/60 mix of DTs to DEs. Two inside linebackers are on the field every down. The 4-2 front often includes a safety up close in the box, giving the front a 4-3 look. Rarely does his defense not field five defensive backs, with a mixture of corners and safeties that is about a 55/45 split. As stated, one, but often two, DBs play up close to the box. Not by accident, those players tend to blitz. Schwartz will blitz as much as any DC in the NFL, sending an extra man in excess of 30% of the pass plays, two extra men as high as 8-10%. Schwartz particularly favors A gap blitzes by inside linebackers and safety blitzes off the edge. Year-to-date, inside linebackers Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jordan Hicks have each blitzed 14 times; strong safety Grant Delpit 8 times. Scwartz plays m-2-m in excess of 50% of the defensive snaps, one of the highest levels in the NFL. Cover 1 predominates, with some Cover 2. Schwartz rarely uses Cover 3, except perhaps in long yardage situations. Cover Zero does occur.

Statistically, the Browns are ranked 13th in yards (294.0 Y/G) and tied for 20th in points (23.0 PPG). In rush defense, they have yielded 114.5 yards/game (14th), but 5.0 yards/carry (7th worst). Passing-wise, they've given up 179.5 yards/game (14th), with the 7th least completions against (33). The Browns have 7 sacks (tied for 3rd most) for minus 40 yards (tied for 8th most). Thy are 7/23 in third down efficiency, a very good 30.4% (tied for 10th). Opponents run/pass ratio is 40%. Like the offense, penalties have hurt the defense. They currently have 17 defensive penalties, tied for 4th most, for 137 penalty yards, tied for sixth most.

Lets look at the personnel.

Defensive Tackles

The interior of the Browns defense is anchored by our old friend Dalvin Tomlinson. The Giants' #2 pick in 2017, Tomlinson spent four seasons with the Giants before signing a two-year free agent contract with the Vikings. In 2022, his contract up with the Vikings, Tomlinson signed a four-year/$57 million contract with the Browns. A tough yet agile man, Tomlinson, a three-time Georgia state wrestling champ, is primarily a zero/one tech nose tackle but is plenty athletic enough to move to the three-tech or even to defensive end. Tomlinson is equally effective in both run defense and pass rush. As part of a four-man DT rotation, Tomlinson has played 48 of the Browns 123 defensive snaps. To-date, he has five tackles (3 solo, 2 assists), 1 tackle for loss, 1.0 sacks, and 1 QB hit. His PFF grades are 72.2 (run), 61.9 (pass rush), 72.8 (overall), ranking #14 of 107 qualifying defensive tackles.

Shelby Harris starts at three-tech. A Raiders'2014 seventh-round pick, Harris has parlayed this low draft status into a fine NFL career. A spot player for Oakland, he moved to Denver in 2019 where he developed into a starter. His best seasons were 2019 and 2021, where each year he recorded 49 tackles and 6 sacks. Harris came to Cleveland in 2023, recording 28 tackles (17/11), 6 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB hits, 5 blocked passes, and 1 forced fumble, earning a solid 70.8 PFF grade. Year-to-date, Harris, in 62 defensive snaps, has two tackles (2/0/2), 1 TFL, and 2 QB hits, scoring PFF grades of 60.0/56.9/59.9, ranking #46 of 107.

Quinton Jefferson is the primary rotation at DT. Year-to-date, Jefferson has played 59 snaps, recording 4 tackles (1/3), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 1 QB hit. He earns PFF scores of 54.8/53.1/52.5, ranking #71 of 107. Maurice Hurst took 25 snaps against Dallas before suffering an IR causing ankle injury. Hurst recorded 3 tackles with 1 TFL yet earned a terrible PFF overall of 28.1. The only other DT presently on the roster is rookie second pick Mike Hall (Ohio State). Hall has yet to take a regular season snap.

Defensive Ends

Myles Garrett was the #1 overall pick in 2017. He has not disappointed. To date, Garrett has 90.5 career sacks, six consecutive years of 10+ sacks, is a three-time All Pro and has been selected to five Pro Bowls. Garrett's 2024 play has been as good as ever. With 89 defensive snaps, he has 5 tackles (5/0/5), 2 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 QB hits, and 2 forced fumbles. His PFF scores of 50.0/93.4/88.5 rank him #6 of 106 qualifying DE/edge players. It was reported Friday that Garrett is suffering from some type of foot injury. His status for Sunday is in doubt.

Zadarius Smith starts opposite Garrett. A 2015 fourth-round pick of Baltimore, Smith has been one of the more productive edge rushers on the past decade. After four solid seasons with the Ravens, Smith played 2019-2021 in Green Bay. In 2019 and 2020, he made the Pro Bowl, respectively recording 13.5 and 12.5 sacks. After an injury wiped out his 2021 season, he played 2022 in Minnesota, where he recorded 10.0 sacks and made his third Pro Bowl. In 2023, he came to the Browns, recording 5.5 sacks. Year-to-date, he has taken 81 defensive snaps, recording 3 tackles (2/1/3), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 1 QB hit. He earns PFF scores of 64.2/56.8/60.9, ranking #57 of 106.

The Browns have four backup DEs who can (and do) rotate along the defensive front. Alex Wright, a 2022 third-round pick from UAB, is the primary back up. In 52 defensive snaps, Wright has 5 tackles (4/1/5), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 1 QB hit. Wright's PFF scores are 49.7/69.2/62.8. Veteran Ogbo Okoronkwo, now 29-years-old, has played 38 snaps but has yet to make the stat sheet. His PFF grades are 45.8/63.2/54.4. Sam Kamara, a 2021 UDFA from Stoney Brook, has two solo tackles in 17 defensive snaps. In admittedly limited play, he scores solid PFF grades of 72.7/61.2/74.2. Second-year player Isaiah McGuire, a fourth-round pick from Missouri, has 19 defensive snaps. McGuire, with zero defensive stats, still managed to earn an overall PFF grade of 78.4. Go figure.

Linebacker

The Browns play two inside linebackers every defensive snap. The starters are Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (hereafter referred to as JOK) and Jordan Hicks. Both are small, fast, big hitters, able to roam behind the line and tackle in space. They are effective in coverage and in pass rush; to date, each have pass rushed 14 times. JOK, a 2021 second-round pick from Notre Dame, has taken 122 of 123 snaps. For the year, he has 16 tackles (12/4), 2 TFL, and one pass defended. His PFF scores are 63.3 (run), 60.8 (coverage), 80.0 (pass rush), 67.6 (overall), ranking 28 of 75 qualifying linebackers. Former Eagle Hicks, now in this tenth year, comes to the Browns after two years in Minnesota. Hicks, in 98 snaps, has 10 tackles (6/4), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 2 passes defended. His PFF grades are 60.4/46.0/67.9/53.1, ranking #53 of 75.

The odd man out in the linebacker room is former #1 pick ( #10 overall) Devin Bush (Michigan). Although healthy, Bush has taken just 9 defensive snaps, recording 2 tackles, and receiving a 54.7 PFF grade. Tony Fields, a 2021 fifth-round pick, has 14 defensive snaps, 2 tackles, and 74.4 PFF score. Mahamoud Diabate played six snaps against Dallas and made 2 tackles. He is now on the IR with a hip injury. Khaleke Hudson, Nathan Watson, and Winston Reid are all listed as linebackers. All three have played extensively on specialty teams but none has taken a defensive snap.

Cornerback

Denzel Ward, the #4 overall pick in 2018 (Ohio State), is one of the NFL's best cover corners. Ward, a three-time Pro Bowler, has been limited this season with a shoulder injury. To date, he has taken but 63 snaps (51%), recording one solo tackle and 4 passes defended. Ward is a blanket in coverage. He earns PFF grades of 82.4 (cover), 52.9 (run defensed), and 77.0 overall, ranking #8 of 93 qualifying corners. Ward was listed as "limited" in yesterday's practice, although I suspect he will be a go against the Giants. Starting opposite Ward is third year player Martin Emerson Jr. A 2022 third-round pick from Mississippi State, Emerson has taken 115 of 123 defensive snaps. Emerson presently has 11 tackles (6/5/11) and two passes defended. Emerson's overall play has slipped just a bit since his rookie season, a year in which he recorded a PFF overall grade of 72.5. This season, his grades are 52.3/49.4/51.6, ranking #79 of 93.

The slot corner, Greg Newsome, has played 101 snaps. Newsome, the Browns 2021 first-round pick, has developed into a fine player. On the season, he has 4 solo tackles and 1 pass defended. He earns PFF grades of 76.4 (coverage), 49.6 (run defense), 59.7 (pass rush), and 72.4, ranking him #17 of 93. Elsewhere, Cameron Mitchell has backed up Denzel Ward on the edge, taking 51 snaps. The second-year player from Northwestern has played reasonably well in the backup roll, recording 3 tackles, 1 TFL, and PFF scores of 64.4/71.2/59.2/67.0, ranking #36 of 93. Mike Ford is the only other corner to take a defensive snap. In three snaps, he has one tackle, with an overall grade of 61.8.

Safety

Grant Delpit has taken 120 of 123 defensive snaps. Listed as the starting strong safety, the big (6'3"/208), strong Delpit will, at times, play deep, either in a Cover 2 or as a high hat in Cover 1. That said, he is more commonly aligned up tight to the box, giving the Browns' 4-2-5 defense more of a 4-3 look. Delpit is a hard-hitting sure tackler with good cover skills. Year-to-date, he has 10 tackles (9/1/10), 1 TFL, and 1 pass defended. His PFF scores are 64.7 (coverage)/69.9 (run support)/50.6 (pass rush)/66.8 (overall), ranking him #31 among 76 qualifying safeties.

Ronnie Hickman and Rodney McLeod split time at free safety. Hickman, a 2023 UDFA from Ohio State, has been a pleasant surprise. As a rookie, he was solid enough to start 4 games and take 47% of the defensive snaps. This season, he has taken 53 snaps (43%), recording 3 solo tackles and 1 pass defended. His PFF scores of 69.9/65.4/74.3 rank him #14 of 76. McLeod, our old friend from his time with the Eagles, has taken 46 defensive snaps (37%). The venerable McLeod, a 2012 UDFA signing of the Eagles (Virgina) has to date 3 tackles (2/1/3) of the defensive stat sheet. His PFF grades are 71.9/60.4/59.2/72.1, ranking #17 of 76. Juan Thornhill, the opening game starter at FS, suffered a calf injury against the Cowboys and is now on IR. Thornhill had a terrific game against Dallas: with 60 defensive snaps, he had 9 tackles (8/1/9) and one tackle for loss, earning an outstanding 82.2 PFF grade.

Special Teams

Dustin Hopkins is the Browns place kicker. Hopkins, known to we Giants' fans from his time in Washington, is now 33 years old. Hopkins spent 7+ years with Washington, then 1+ years with the Chargers, before coming to the Browns in 2023. Career-wise, Hopkins is 227/264 on field goals (86%); 25/40 (62.5%) on field goals of 50+, and 242/263 (94.3%) on extra points. Season to date, he is 4/4 on field goals (2/2 on 50+) and 3/3 on extra points.

The punter is 28-year-old Corey Bojorquez. Year-to-date, Bojorquez has punted 12 times, with a gross of 47.9 (19th), a net of 39.3 (5th worst), 4 punts inside the 20, 1 touchback, and 2 fair catches. Significantly, the Browns have had trouble covering punts. In 6 opponent punt returns, the Browns have yielded 104 yards, an average of 17.3 yards/return, dead worst in the NFL.

The Browns have an excellent return man in Jaelon Darden. Draden has returned 4 kickoffs for 97 yards, a 24.3 average. On punts, he has 5 returns for 73 yards, a 14.4 average, with a long of 28. Otherwise, James Proche has returned 3 punts for 25 yards (8.4 Y/R) and Pierre Strong has one kickoff return for 25 yards

19/09/2024

Hi all. I worked this week to get the reports out earlier. Here is #1, on the Browns offense. I hope you enjoy it!

Cleveland Browns Offense

Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski is in his sixth season in Cleveland. Prior to his hire, Stefanski spent 14 years as a Vikings' assistant, mostly as a quarterbacks coach. His offensive coordinator is Ken Dorsey, a former NFL backup who played sparingly for seven seasons, 2003-2009. Once his playing days were over, Dorsey began his coaching career in Carolina, primarily as quarterbacks coach. In 2019, he moved on to the Bills as their QB coach. In 2022, he was promoted to Bills' offensive coordinator. Halfway through 2023, with the offense floundering and the Bills record at 5-5, Dorsey was fired, replaced by QB coach Joe Brady. In January, 2024, Dorsey was hired as Cleveland OC, replacing the fired Alex van Pelt.

The Browns offense is presently in a state of stutter. Two games into the season, they are 27th in yards (263.5 Y/G) and tied for 22nd in points (17.5 PPG). They have run the ball with moderate success, averaging 109.0 yards/game, with an average yards/carry of 4.5 and two touchdowns. The pass game has been quite unproductive, averaging just 154,5 yards/game (25th), one touchdown, and two interceptions. They have yielded 8 sacks (4th most in the league) for minus 46 yards (6th most).

Scheme and ex*****on are killing the Browns offense. Year to date, they are just 4/29 on third down, a terrible 13.8% conversion rate, second worst in the NFL. They have 24 offensive penalties, worst in the league, for 164 penalty yards, 4th worst. Despite a run game that has been more effective that the pass attack, their run/pass ratio is just 35.5%.

In the Week 1 loss to Dallas, Cleveland had no answer to a ferocious Cowboy pass rush that had six sacks and disrupted pretty much every Browns pass attempt. The Browns best receiving option against Dallas, tight end David Njoku, suffered a high ankle sprain on a 29-yard catch and run in the third quarter. The Browns did have some success running the ball against Dallas, gaining 93 yards on 19 carries. Heading into Week 2 against Jacksonville, with Njoku still out injured, Dorsey came up with what could be considered an "old school" game plan. Placing emphasis on the run, he inserted a sixth offensive lineman on 24 offensive snaps, doing so almost exclusively on run downs. The offense upped its run carries to 29, a respectable 44.6% run/pass ratio, and gained 125 yards on the ground. That said, the Browns still scored but 18 points and required a late game safety by the defense to ice the win.

By my mind's eye, the Browns sputtering offense results from several root causes. Among these:

1) The ineffectiveness of Deshaun Watson. To me, Watson's issues are threefold. First, it appears he has not fully recovered from a season-ending shoulder injury suffered last season. His passes are weak; they lack "zip" and depth. I wonder whether the injury will be chronic. Second, the anemic Browns pass protection has given Watson a case of the yips. Opposing pass rushers are in his face on an almost continuous basis, causing him to move his feet much too soon, preventing him from properly reading the defense. Third, it is my belief that Watson's off-field issues, now mixed with a loud, vicious, and constant on-field malevolence among football fans, is distracting Watson to the point that he can no longer properly focus on the football field.
2) The Browns offensive line, particularly the now-starting backup tackles and the starting center, has performed so poorly that the Browns passing game never has a chance to develop a proper rhythm. The eventual return to play by injured starters Jedrick Wills or Jack Conklin should eventually go a long way to improve the line play. That said, at this point, it is uncertain if either will be able play Sunday against the Giants.
3) The play calling, particularly on pass plays, has been odd in the extreme. The Browns almost never run a pattern of more than 7-8 yards downfield. They are averaging an almost ridiculously low 4.5 yards/pass attempt. In fact, it is the pass play calling by Dorsey that leads me to suspect that Watson's shoulder remains damaged, limiting his throwing ability.

The keys for the Giants defense against the Browns are, in my estimation:

1) Stop the run. The Giants run defense against Washington was awful. Make it better. I expect the Browns will not significantly alter the game plan they utilized against Jacksonville. Expect a run/pass ratio of about 50%.
2) Zone off and keep the receivers in front of the coverage. A roll up zone should work well against the short routes the Browns used against the Jaguars.
3) Provide a hard pass rush off the edge. Year-to-date, the Browns have had little success protecting the rush off the edge. Mix in some A gap blitzes, a second recent vulnerable point.

Let's dive into the Browns offensive personnel.

Quarterback

No need to rehash Deshaun Watson's off-field issues other than to state that, in my opinion, the reaction of NFL fans, both for and against the Browns, is affecting Watson's concentration and thus hurting his on-field performance. Such was not always the case. Watson came out of Clemson in 2017 as the Houston Texans first-round pick ( #12 overall). By 2018, he made the Pro Bowl, repeating against in 2019 and 2020. It was around this point that his off-field issues exploded. Prior to 2021, Watson demanded a trade out of Houston. The Texan management refused to grant this wish, causing Watson to sit out the entire 2021 season. In the subsequent off-season, Watson was traded to the Browns for a package of draft picks that included three first-rounders. Meanwhile, his off-field issues resulted in an eleven game suspension and $5 million. He did play the final six games of 2022 and then started six games in 2023. In both seasons, his play was sub-par, earning respective PFF grades of 54.7 and 64.3. Midway through 2023, Watson suffered a shoulder injury that placed him on season-ending IR.

I have reviewed both Browns games. To me, it appears that Watson's previous shoulder injury is affecting his throwing motion. Over two games, I recall just one downfield throw, directed to Amari Cooper. In fact, Watson has thrown few intermediate range passes. Most attempts have been of the dink-n-dunk variety. Even these short passes are falling incomplete much too often. On the season, Watson has completed just 46 of 79 pass attempts, a completion rate of just 58.2% ( #27 in the NFL) and a paltry 4.5 yards/attempt. He has 355 passing yards, been sacked 8 times for minus 46 yards, has 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble. Watson has rushed 10 times for 59 yards (5.9 Y/C) and 1 touchdown.

If Watson continues to flounder, the Browns do have Jameis Winston on the bench. Winston, the 2017 #1 overall pick, has been, and likely will remain, a career flop. Still, he does remain a potential option. Winston took three snaps against the Jags, running twice (successfully) on short yardage situations and handing off once. Otherwise, 2023 fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a developmental project.

Offensive Line

George Young once stated, show me a football team that is struggling, and I'll show you a bad offensive line. This year's Cleveland Browns are a provable version of that statement. Deshaun Watson is rightly given much blame for the Browns offensive woes, but Watson' struggles are in large part due to bad line play. Middling or better PFF grades aside, my observation of the Browns line yields a unit that cannot stop an opposing pass rush. The Cowboys, especially their edge rushers, flat out embarrassed the Browns line in their home opener. Statistically, the line played better against Jacksonville, allowing just 2 sacks for minus 14 yards, but, still, Watson was for the most part running for his life on most every pass down. Rarely did he have a clean pocket in which to throw.

A large part of the O line woes is the result of both starting tackles being injured. Jedrick Wills Jr, the left tackle, and Jack Conklin, the right tackle, are each working themselves into game shape over knee injuries each suffered in 2023. When on the field, Wills, to date, has been a disappointment. The 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wills has struggled to be any better than mediocre. His injury-plagued 2023 season was his worst, posting an overall PFF grade of 54.0. In many ways, Wills is the Browns version of fellow Alabama alum Evan Neal. The same cannot be said for injured right tackle Jack Conklin. Also a high draft pick ( #8 overall in 2016, Michigan), Conklin has to-date had an excellent career, twice being named All Pro. Injured in the 2023 season opener, Conklin has not since taken a snap. As of this writing, his status for Sunday, as well as that of Wills, is uncertain.

Wills' replacement at left tackle is at present James Hudson III. A 2021 fourth-round pick from Cincinnati, Hudson has struggled, particularly in pass protection. To date, Hudson has 16 career starts. He has yet to earn a PFF grade higher than 57.4. 2023 was his worst year: in 16 games and 7 starts, he recorded just a 44.7 overall grade. This year, having taken all 148 offensive snaps, he shows PFF scores of 60.6(run), 41.3(pass protection, 52.9(overall), ranking #59 of 67 qualifying tackles. Starting opposite to Hudson has been 2023 fourth-round pick Dawand Jones. PFF-wise, Jones scores middling: 68.4/73.0/63.7, ranking #38 of 67. Not sure who at PFF was watching his pass blocking; I saw Jones getting consistently beat off the edge. Apparently Kevin Stefanski believed so also, pulling Jones from the Jacksonville game in favor of Germain Ifedi. Yet another former first-round pick (2016, #31 overall), Ifedi has not been a good pro, consistently scoring PFF grades in the 40s and 50s. The Ifedi experiment lasted just 11 plays as he was considerably worse than Jones. Ifedi's 2024 PFF grades, including 2 snaps against Dallas, are 48.2/47.6/49.3.

Left guard Joel Bitonio is a long-time terrific player. A Browns 2nd round pick in 2014 (Nevada), Bitonio has made six Pro Bowls and has twice been named All Pro. For three consecutive seasons, 2020-2022, PFF ranked him 2nd, 1st, and 5th among all qualifying guards. Though still solid, Bitonio's recent play has not been quite impressive; to date, PFF grades him 74.2(run), 51.1(pass protection), 68.5(overall) ranking #27 of 68 qualifying guards. Starting opposite Bitonio is the equally impressive Wyatt Teller. A 2018 fifth-round pick from Va Tech, Teller has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons. So far in 2024, he grades 66.9/78.7/73.5, ranking #20 of 68.

Despite playing between solid guards, center Ethan Pocic has been a bit shaky this season, particularly in pass protection. A 2017 second-round pick of Seattle, he came to Cleveland in 2021 and had since been an O-line mainstay. This year, admittedly over just two games, he grades a poor 46.6 for pass protection. Coupled with a solid 74.5 in run blocking, he grades 61.0 overall, #22 of 33.

As stated, Cleveland adjusted its offense against the Jags by inserting a sixth offensive lineman, mostly on run downs. In total, the Browns had a sixth lineman on 24 of the 72 offensive snaps. All but a few of the six-man fronts were utilized on run plays, although there were a few misdirection screen passes.14 of these snaps went to rookie guard Zak Zinter; 10 snaps went to fifth-year backup center Nick Harris. Zinter, a third-round pick from Michigan, graded 44.2/75.7/45.5. Harris, originally a fifth-round pick from Washington, received a run grade of 58.1, no pass block grade, and an overall of 66.5.

Running Backs

The Browns have a fine young back in third-year player Jerome Ford. A 2022 fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, Ford became the Browns starter in 2023. He subsequently ran for 813 yards on 204 carries (4.0 T/C) and 4 touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes on 63 targets for 319 yards, 7.3 Y/C, and 5 touchdowns. Year-to-date, Ford has 108 rushing yards on 19 carries, 5.7 Y/C, and one touchdown, and 7 catches on 9 targets for 25 yards, 3.6 Y/C. He grades 66.2 (run), 56.1 (receiving), 62.5 (overall), ranking # 35 of 53 qualifying backs.

Solid journeyman D'onta Foreman joins Ford in the Cleveland backfield. Originally a Houston 2017 third-round pick, Foreman is now on his fifth NFL team. A bruising power runner, Foreman is pretty much a one-way runner who is not often utilized in the passing game. His best season was 2022 in Carolina, where he ran for 914 yards on 203 carries and 5 touchdowns. Unused in Week 1 against Dallas, he took 27 snaps in the power game against the Jags, with 10 carries for 59 yards (5.9 Y/C), 1 touchdown, and 1 fumble (not lost). He did catch one pass for 9 yards.

Backup Pierre Strong Jr. injured a hamstring last week and is "questionable" for Sunday. A New England 2022 fourth-round pick (S. Dakota State), Strong is a solid ST player who does get offensive snaps as a change-of-pace pass-catching back. On the season, Strong has 3 carries for 5 yards (1.7 Y/C) and has 3 receptions on 5 targets for 30 yards (10.0 Y/C).

Tight End

Starting tight end David Njoku suffered a high ankle sprain against Dallas and did not play last week against Jacksonville. Prior to the injury, Njoku caught 4 passes against the Cowboys on 5 targets for 44 yards (11.0 Y/C). In 2023, Njoku, a 2017 first-round pick from Miami, had his best pro season, earning his first Pro Bowl, with 81 receptions on 123 targets for 882 yards (10.9 Y/C) and 6 touchdowns. Njoku is more of a receiving tight end than a blocker. A security blanket receiver for Dashaun Watson, Njoku's absence from the Jacksonville game likely played a large part in the reinvented game plan. As of this writing (Wednesday), Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski reports that Njoku is "unlikely to play."

#2 tight end is 32-year-old Jordan Akins. Originally a 2018 second-round pick of Houston, Akins is, like Njoku, more of a receiving tight end than a blocker. His best season was 2022, when he caught 37 passes on 53 targets for 495 yards and five touchdowns. Year-to-date, Akins has 4 catches on 5 targets for 37 yards (9.3 Y/C). Elevated from the practice squad last week was Blake Whiteheart, a 2023 UDFA signing from Wake Forest. Whiteheart played 24 snaps against the Jaguars but had no targets or catches. He earned a PFF grade of 62.4.

Wide Receiver

Amari Cooper was originally drafted #4 overall in 2015. He has since played up to the high draft billing, having caught 672 passes for 9513 yards, 14.2 Y/C, 60 touchdowns, and five Pro Bowls. In 2023 Cooper, had perhaps his finest season, catching 72 passes for 1250 yards, 17.5 Y/C, and 5 touchdowns. That said, this season he does not look right. Although he has played 135 out of 148 offensive snaps, he has just 5 catches on 17 targets for a paltry 27 yards, 5.4 Y/C, and zero touchdowns. Against the Jags, in a rare 2024 throw downfield, Watson targeted Cooper on a deep sideline throw. Cooper was open but only made a half-assed attempt at a catch, and the ball fell incomplete. I'm not sure what, if anything, is up with Cooper. Season-to-date, he shows a PFF grade of 48.5, ranking #98 of 104 qualifying wideouts. As best I can tell, he is not injured. Is his poor play just a two-game blip, will he return to form, or has the air finally emptied out of his balloon, ala Kenny Golliday? Don't know.

Eljah Moore was a 2021 second-round pick out of Ole Miss. His career to date has been so-so at best. In 2023, his best season, he caught 59 passes on 104 targets for 640 yards, 10.8 Y/C, and 2 touchdowns. This season, Moore has caught 9 passes on 14 targets for 53 yards, 5.9 Y/C, and zero touchdowns. Going into 2024, the Browns rightly decided that they needed a better #2 receiver and engineered a trade to bring Jerry Jeudy over from Denver. That deal has proven astute as Jeudy has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal pass attack. In his four years in Denver, Jeudy caught 219 passes on 370 targets for 3151 yards, 12.3 Y/C, and 12 touchdowns. This season, he has 8 catches on 14 targets for 98 yards and one touchdown. He has a PFF receiving grade of 70.5, ranking #28 of 104.

Elsewise, David Bell, 2022 second-round pick from Purdue, took nine snaps against Jacksonville, making three catches on three targets for 27 yards. He has since gone to the IR with a season-ending hip injury. Cedric Tillman, a 2023 third-round pick, has not been good. In 52 offensive snaps, he has but two catches on 3 targets for just 5 yards. His PFF grade of 44.6 gives him the Blutarski award among wideouts: a perfect ranking of #104 of 104.

Up Next: Browns Defense and Special Teams

18/09/2024

14/09/2024

Let's look at the Washington defense.

Washington Defense

The pedigree of Washington head coach Dan Quinn is on defense. He began his career in 1994, coaching defensive line at William and Mary, VMI, and Hofstra. In 2000, he moved into the NFL, again as a D line coach, having stints in Miami, the Jets, and Seattle. In 2011/2012, he was DC at the University of Florida. In 2013, Pete Carroll hired him to be his DC in Seattle. Two Super Bowl seasons followed, with Seattle finishing each season 1st in the NFL in both PPG and yardage. His success in Seattle led to a 2014 hire as head coach in Atlanta. He spent the next six years in Atlanta, a stint that included a trip to the 2016 Super Bowl LI (a 34-28 loss to New England, the game in which the Falcons blew at 28-3 lead). Fired after 2020, Quinn was subsequently hired by Dallas as DC. Quinn turned what had been a mediocre Dallas defense into a team strength. In 2021-2023, Dallas finished 19th, 12th, and 5th in yardage and 7th, 5th, and 5th in points.

Quinn's background is along the defensive line. In fact, prior to his DC hire in Seattle, he had exclusively coached D line. Quinn prioritizes fast, tough two-way edge DEs built in the 6'4"/265 range. In Dallas, Quinn's defenses finished 14th, 3rd, and 13th in sacks. His Dallas defense was excellent against the pass, finishing 20th, 8th, and 5th in yardage defense and 1st, 7th, and 8th in interceptions.

Quinn brought in Joe Whitt, his Dallas defensive backs/defensive passing game coordinator, to be his defensive coordinator in DC. Whitt began his career in 2003 at Louisville. He moved into the NFL in 2008, coaching cornerbacks at Green Bay. Whitt spent ten seasons in Grenn Bay. After one-year stints in Cleveland and Atlanta, he was brought into Dallas by Quinn to whip into shape a lethargic secondary. As noted above, his secondaries jumped into the upper echelon of the league in both pass defense and interceptions. It has yet to be seen how Whitt, a career defensive backs coach, applies the defensive precepts of Quinn, a career defensive line coach, to the Washington defense.

The Quinn/Whitt defensive duo have their work cut out in DC. In 2023, the Washington defense finished dead last in both points/game (30.5) and yardage (389 yards/game). This defense should not look bereft of defensive talent. It's current roster sports 7 players who were first-round picks and five who were second-round picks. It will be up to Quinn/Whitt to utilize this talent to it's supposed potential, something the previous regime, itself a defensive-minded group, could not do.

The defense did not get off to a good start in the Week 1 opener against Tampa. The team gave up 392 yards, 7th worst for the week. They were particularly bad against the pass. Tampa QB Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes, a completion rate of 80%, dead last, while giving up 280 net yards, 4th worst. Dan Quinn was particularly irked by the 3rd down defense, which repeatedly failed, often on third-and-long situations. For the game, the defense allowed 9 of 13 3rd down conversions, a conversion rate of 69.2%, which again was worst in the NFL.

Positionally, Quinn/Whitt have installed what is effectively a fulltime 4-2-5 front. Players such as Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler, once considered "outside linebackers," are now three-point-stance hand-in-the-dirt defensive ends. Against Tampa, I saw more of an under front, especially by the tackles. One of the more common alignments had a three-tech tackle to the weak side and the nose tackle in a 2i position off the inside shoulder of the strong side guard. The defense had two linebackers on the field every play: Bobby Wagner took all 64 snaps; Frankie Luvu 59 snaps, subbed out by Mykal Walker on 5 plays. The joker in this defense is the slot corner, presently played by rookie Mike Sainristil. This position moves quite a bit along the strong side of the offense, often positioning as a stack over the LDE or even a four-tech directly over the offensive right tackle. This positioning often gives the front a false traditional 4-3 look and allows the slot corner to give up-tight run support on run downs and to either play man coverage, drop into zone, or blitz on pass downs.

As for coverages, I saw mixture Cover 2, Cover 1, and occasional Cover 3, with Cover 2 predominating. Washington played a mixture of zone and m-2-m; by my observation, a bit more zone than man. Washington had but one sack for minus 9 yards, but it was not for a lack of trying. Washington blitzed 24 times, with inside linebackers Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner blitzing 10 and 6 times respectively, slot corner Mike Sainristil 4 times, and safety Jeremy Chinn 2. Edge rushers dropped into coverage just 3 times total.

Defensive Tackle

Ground zero of a defense is its line, and Washington has invested heavily in this area. Against Tampa, this unit was hardly heard from all game. The DTs will simply have to play better in the future in order for Washington to develop a solid defense.

The Commanders defense presently carries five defensive tackles, four of which were high draft picks. Daron Payne was a first-round selection ( #13 overall/Alabama) in 2018. Payne has since developed into a solid, if unspectacular, player. In 2023, Payne registered 53 tackles (32 solo). 13 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 11 QB hits, 4 blocked passes, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. He earned PFF grades of 58.7 (run), 57.1 (pass rush), 61.2 (overall), rating #57 of 130 qualifying DTs. Against Tampa, in 40 defensive snaps, Payne recorded a single tackle, earning PFF grades of 48.5/73.3/63.1. Starting along side Payne is fellow Alabama alum Jonathan Allen, a 2017 fist round pick ( #17 overall). Like Payne, Allen is a good-but-not-great player. Last season, he also recorded 53 tackles (30/23), with 10 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, and one blocked pass. His PFF grades were an awful 37.9 against the run, a solid 77.6 for pass rush, and 59.7 overall ( #65 of 130). Against Tampa, Allen took 41 defensive snaps, recording 2 solo tackles and a QB hit, earning PFF grades of 60.5/50.5/54.2.

At present, Washington carries three DT backups. Phidarian Mathis was a 2022 second pick from Alabama. (Washington really likes those Alabama DTs, don't they?) Mathis played sparingly in 2023, recording 203 defensive snaps. He recorded 8 tackles (2/6), 1 QB hit, and had one fumble recovery. His PFF grades were a terrible 32.2 against the run, 66.5 for pass rush, and just 42.7 overall. Against Tampa, he took 23 snaps, recording 1 solo tackle and earning PFF grades of 55.9/60.5/66.1. 30-year-old Sheldon Day, a journeyman now on his sixth NFL team, comes to Washington after spending 2023 in Minnesota. In six games and 127 defensive snaps for the Vikings, he recorded 8 tackles (7/1), with an overall PFF of 61.4. Against Tampa, he had 23 defensive snaps and record 1 solo tackle. He earned PFF grades of 53.4/52.1/49.2. The fifth and final DT is Jer'zhan Newton, a rookie second-round pick from Illinois. Newton has been nursing a foot injury he suffered in camp and did not play against Tampa. His status for Sunday is unknown.

Defensive End

It is no secret that the highlight of the Dan Quinn defense is a ferocious pass rush off the edge. Quinn favors strong tough, fast, somewhat light defensive ends who can both play the run and rush the passer. Quinn's problem is that the previous regime disassembled what had been a pretty decent group of edge players and now he and the front office must rebuild the unit from scratch. Quinn did bring Dorance Armstrong with him over from Dallas. Armstrong, who played six seasons in Big D, was a 2018 fourth-round pick from Kansas. In 2023, he played 446 defensive snaps, recording 38 tackles (20/18), 7 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 1 blocked pass. His PFF grades were 69.7/72.4/69.6, ranking #49 of 112. Against Tampa, he took 37 defensive snaps, recording a one tackle assist and one QB hit. His PFF grades were 56.5/73.5/62.5.

Starting opposite Armstrong is Clelin Ferrell, originally drafted #4 overall in 2019 by the Raiders. Ferrell, who has overall been a disappointment, played 2023 in San Francisco. In 471 defensive snaps, he recorded 28 tackles (15/13), 7 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 13 QB hits, 1 blocked pass, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF grades were 47.4/60.4/60.7, ranking #82/112.

Joining the above two on the edge is Dante Fowler, drafted in 2015 by Jacksonville with the #3 overall pick (Florida). Like Ferrell, Fowler's career has been a bit of a disappointment. His best year was 2019, when he recorded 11.5 sacks for the Raiders. Like Armstrong, Fowler comes to Washington after playing 2023 in Dallas. Originally an outside linebacker, Quinn has since converted Fowler to a three-point-stance hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. Last season, he took 270 defensive snaps for the Cowboys, recording 13 tackles (8/5), 5 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 7 QB hits, and 1 forced fumble. His PFF scores were 62.0/69.9/63.8. Fowler took 21 defensive snaps against Tampa, recording two tackles (1/1), with 1 TFL. His PFF grades were 71.7/46.1/59.1.

Moved to the edge this season is former first-round pick Jamin Davis. The 2021 #17 overall pick from Kentucky, Davis, at 6'3"/234, is undersized for an edge/DE yet, at least against Tampa, that was where he played. Davis is very quick and has definite big-play capability. In 2023, as more of a traditional outside linebacker, he took 743 defensive snaps, recording 89 tackles (50/39), 8 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 3 QB hits, 4 passes defended, and two forced fumbles. His 2023 PFF grades were 76.1(run), 76.1(pass rush), 56.5(coverage), 67.6(overall), ranking #37 of 82 qualifying LBs. Against Tampa, he took just 13 defensive snaps, recording 3 tackles (2/1) and 1 TFL, with excellent PFF grades of 83.8/52.0/78.8.

Washington's fifth-and-final edge rusher is Javontae Jean-Baptiste, a rookie seventh-round pick from Notre Dame. Jean-Baptiste took 20 defensive snaps last Sunday with straight zeroes across the stat sheet. His PFF scores were 65.1/46.1/58.6.

Linebackers

As stated, Washington plays a 4-2-5 set, with two inside linebackers on the field most every play. To quarterback the defense Dan Quinn brought in the venerable Bobby Wagner, his old friend from his days in Seattle. Originally a 2012 second pick from Utah State, the now 34-year-old Wagner had a terrific 2023 season, recording 183 tackles (96/87), 11 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 6 QB hits, 3 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery. Always an iron man, Wagner played 1170 (98%) of the Seattle defensive snaps. His 2023 PFF grades were 91.5(run), 75.1(coverage), 60.0(pass rush), 82.4(overall), ranking #7 of 82 qualifying linebackers. Against Tampa, Wagner had 10 tackles (5/5) and 3 TFL, grading 72.8/43.0/72.8/56.4. Wagner played all 64 of the defensive snaps.

Washington brought former Carolina Panther Frankie Luvu to play alongside Wagner. IN 2023, the somewhat slightly built (6'3"/235) Luvu took 990 (94%) of the Panther defensive snaps. He recorded 125 tackles (66/59), 10 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 11 QB hits, 5 passes defended, and two forced fumbles. Luvu had excellent 2023 PFF scores of 74.0/90.1/67.7/80.0, ranking #10 of 82. Against Tampa, Luvu took 59 of the defensive snaps. He recorded 5 tackles (1/4), receiving PFF grades of 76.1/50.7/47.7/50.7. Subbing in for Luvu on five defensive snaps was Mykal Walker, a fifth-year player from Fresno State. Walker recorded two tackles (1/1) with PFF grades of 60.0(run), 62.7(coverage), 65.9(overall).

Cornerbacks

Starting left corner Emmanuel Forbes suffered a thumb injury against Tampa and is out for Sunday's Giants game. Forbes, a 2023 first-round pick ( #16 overall) from Mississippi State, has, to-date, been a big-time disappointment. In 2023, with 482 defensive snaps, he recorded 38 tackles (35/3), 2 TFL, 11 passes defended, and 1 interception. His 2023 PFF grades were downright terrible. Forbes had a poor 57.6 grade for coverage, an astronomically bad 28.4 in run support, and an overall grade of 50.9, ranking him #112 of 127 qualifying quarterbacks. Starting in Forbes' place will likely be Noah Igbinoghene. A 2020 Miami Dolphins' first-round pick, Igbinoghene has had a very disappointing career. After three seasons in Miami, he spent 2023 in Dallas, suiting up for just five games and 25 defensive snaps. Against Tampa, he did take 28 defensive snaps, recording a tackle assist and one pass defended. He earned a terrific coverage grade of 81.1, a mediocre run support grade of 44.3, and a solid overall grade of 72.3.

Starting opposite will be Benjamin Saint-Juste, a 2021 third-round pick from Minnesota. A solid-if-unspectacular player, the 2023 Saint-Juste took 1064 (91%) defensive snaps. He recorded 67 tackles (52/15), 1 TFL, 1,0 sacks, 1 QB hit, 17 passes defended, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles. His PFF scores were 56.4(coverage), 75.1 (run support), 59.9(overall) ranking #82 of 127. Against Tampa, Saint-Juste played all 64 of the defensive snaps, recording 5 solo tackles and one pass defended. His PFF grades for the game were 59.1/67.9/61.4.

The starting slot corner is rookie second-round pick Mike Sainristil. A 2023 National Champion at Michigan, Sainristil seems slated for big responsibilities in the Washington defense. As noted above, Sainristil often plays up quite close to the line and near or even over the offensive tackle, giving the Washington 4-2 set a more traditional, but false, 4-3 look. Sainristil is also utilized to blitz. Against Tampa, he took 61 of the 64 defensive snaps, recording 6 tackles (5/1) and 4 pass rushes. By my eye, he had a poor game; the PFF scorekeepers apparently agree. He graded just 40.8 for coverage, 49.6 in run support, 52.4 for pass rush, and 40.7 overall, which, for the week, ranked him #92 of 94 qualifying corners.

Likely to see snaps at corner this week is former Charger Michael Davis. A 2017 UDFA from BYU, Davis played seven seasons with the Chargers, with 74 starts. In 2023, he started 12 games and took 885 defensive snaps. He recorded 62 tackles (52/10), 3 TFL, 10 passes defended, and one interception. He earned PFF grades of 54.3/64.1/56.5, ranking #96 of 127. Davis did not play against Tampa.

Safeties

This off-season, Washington brought in Jeremy Chinn from Carolina to play strong safety. A 2020 second-round pick from S. Illinois, the big (6'3"/220), tough Chinn took just 286 snaps for the Panthers in 2023 as he was hobbled with hamstring issues. He did record 30 tackles (18/12), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 1 pass defended. His PFF grades were 51.6(coverage), 68.1(run support), 58.4(Pass rush), and 57.7(overall). Chinn took 51 snaps against Tampa, recording 3 tackles (2/1). His PFF grades were 53.1/65.4/57.1/56.1.

Starting free safety Quan Martin is a late addition to the Washington injury report after having suffered a hamstring injury during Friday's practice. A 2023 second-round pick from Illinois, Martin had a decent rookie season, recording 46 tackles (28/18), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 4 passes defended, and two interceptions. He earned PFF grades of 66.4/58.8/90.7/65.4, ranking #55 of 95 qualifying safeties. Martin took 59 snaps against Tampa, recording 9 tackles (8/1), but had difficulties in coverage. His awful PFF cover grade of 36.0 was somewhat offset by a solid run support grade of 80.7, yielding mediocre 46.0 overall.

If Martin is unable to go, Percy Butler is his likely replacement. Butler, a 2022 fourth-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette, was a 2023 starter, taking 836 defensive snaps. He recorded 64 tackles (35/29), 2 TFL, 8 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble. His 2023 PFF grades were 58.0/71.2/62.5/62.7, ranking #65 of 95. Sixth year vet Jeremy Reaves and rookie UDFA Tyler Owens are both carried on the roster as safeties but both are, essentially, specialty teams only players. Both took 14 ST snaps against Tampa but neither took a defensive snap.

Special Teams

Kicker Cade York was 0/2 on field goals against Tampa and was subsequently released earlier this week. In his place, Washington brought in journeyman Austin Seibert. Originally a Browns' 2019 fifth-round pick, Seibert kicked in just 15 games in the past four seasons. Career-wise he is 45/53 on field goals (19 of 30 on kicks of 40+) and 56/62 on extra points.

Returning as punter is the venerable 34-year-old Tress Way. In 2023, Way had a gross average of 46.0 ( #26), a net of 41.2 ( #26), 30 punts inside the 20 ( #10), 25 fair catches, only 2 touchbacks, with a return average of 8.0 (11th best). Last week against Tampa, he had three punts for a 46.3 gross, 41.3 net, 1 punt inside the 20, and 1 return for 15 yards.

Austin Ekeler returned two kick offs against Tampa for 48 total yards (24.0/return). Jamison Crowder is the punt returner, but did not return a punt against Tampa.