Disaster on defense

 

I wasn’t joking when I wrote the other day the Browns’ offense is good enough this season to simply outscore the opposition to win games. Because that’s what it is going to take.

 

That is how bad their defense is going to be. A close look at those who ply their trade on that side of the football reveals the talent quotient, with few exceptions, is lacking.

 

There is a woeful paucity of playmakers on that side of the football. With the lone exception of defensive end Myles Garrett, arguably the best pass rusher in the National Football League, and perhaps young cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams, the cupboard is bare.

 

The 21-year history of this resurrected franchise is saturated with awful defensive football. And that’s being kind. In reality, it has been abysmal. Year in a year out, the fans shout of “DEE-FENSE, DEE-FENSE” goes frustratingly unrewarded.

 

The very offensive Cleveland defense over this period has finished in the bottom 10 (out of 32 teams) on 15 occasions. Nine of those times rendered a bottom seven finish.

 

They have landed in the top half only six times, including anomalous seasons of nine (2013, 4-12 record), 10 (2011, another 4-12) and 14 in the very forgettable winless 2017 season.

 

Bad defensive football has taken up semi-permanent – threatening to be permanent – residence along the lakeshore. And this year’s edition, on paper, provides no solace.

 

Who is going to step up and become a defining force in the clutch? The rest of the defensive line is a question mark. The secondary is young at the corners. Too many questions reside at safety to be comfortable there. And the linebackers? Warning, Will Robinson.

 

Can defensive end Olivier Vernon stay healthy enough long enough to lend a helping hand in the trenches or will 2020 become another one-man show by Garrett, who was on a sack-a-game pace when suspended last season? If the answer is no, he can expect to be triple-teamed all season long.

 

At tackle, Sheldon Richardson, easily the best lineman last season outside of Garrett, isn’t getting any younger. He’ll be 30 midway through the season. And who knows what defensive coordinator Joe Woods will get out of the inconsistent Larry Ogunjobi?

 

There is no appreciable quality depth along the line. It was believed by many observers that the free-agent signing of tackle Andrew Billings would provide that kind of depth, especially against the run. But he torpedoed that by opting out of this season because of the pandemic.

 

The linebacker situation turned disastrous the day the Browns unwisely allowed middle linebacker Joe Schobert to escape to Jacksonville via free agency.

 

Schobert led the Browns in interceptions with four, but had weaknesses (average speed, sometimes late at the point of attack). But he was smart, reliable and a solid tackler. He registered 380 tackles in his three seasons as a starter, including 144 in 2017 and 133 last season. The Browns will miss his production.

 

None of the backers on this roster can boast those qualities. This group will be young and relatively inexperienced. No one there to get excited about. And with a 4-2-5 base employed by Woods, expect opposing teams to take advantage with their tight ends. There is no speed on the outside.

 

Mack Wilson and B.J. Goodson, both inside backers, will most likely handle the bulk of playing time as the new coaching staff tries to figure out where pro sophomore Sione Takitaki fits best in their scheme. Last season’s staff never figured it out.

 

The Browns registered only 13 interceptions last season, eight by defensive backs. That right there raises a caution flag about the secondary with regard to an absence of playmaking. Lack of turnovers hurt the offense.

 

Ward picked off only two passes last season and Williams, in his rookie season, was blanked. That has to improve says Captain Obvious. A lot will depend on how much pressure the line, someone besides Garrett, can put on opposing quarterbacks.

 

Rookie Grant Delpit will start right away at free safety along with veterans Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo on the strong side. It will be interesting to see how Woods uses Delpit, who played all over the field in college at Louisiana State

 

Considering the club’s personnel, it is not entirely out of the question this defense will set dubious records in yards allowed and points allowed. That’s if they play all 16 games on the schedule.

 

The previous record for yardage allowed is the 6,288 yielded in 2018, when the Browns finished 7-8-1. That’s 393 yards a game. The points-allowed mark of 462 was achieved back in 1990. That’s 28.875 points a game.

Summing up, it’s possible the best defense for the Browns this season will be the offense.