The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kirksey: Sloppy tackling to blame
It doesn’t matter whether the Browns play a 3-4 defense or a 4-3 defense. Unless the NFL gives them a special exemption and lets them play a 15-16 defense, stopping the run is always going to be an issue.
Gregg Williams was hired as defensive coordinator on Jan. 7, and after the Browns loaded up with three defensive linemen in the draft, he figured the wise thing to do was switch to a base defense that uses four players on the line and three linebackers. The Browns were the other way around the last four years under Ray Horton in 2013, Jim O’Neil in 2014-15 and Horton again in 2016.
The revamped defense was on display against an opponent on Aug. 10 for the first time when the Browns played the Saints in the preseason opener. The results were not pretty.
The Saints rested top running backs Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram. But they still managed to run for 51 yards on 10 carries in the first half with most of the success coming at the expense of the Browns’ starting defense. Rookie Alvin Kamara, a third-round draft pick, dashed 12 yards over right guard on the second play of the game. He picked up 22 yards over left guard on the second play of the Saints’ second series. One play later, Daniel Lasco, a 2016 seventh-round choice, blasted through a hole at left guard for 14 yards to the Browns’ 11.
“They’re going to get a couple big plays here and there — that’s the name of the game,” linebacker Chris Kirksey said before practice Aug. 14. “Honestly, it’s tackling for us. Some of those plays, the running back got 10 or 12 yards after contact. It’s just us not being sound in our technique as far as tackling, so we’ll clean that up.”
The Browns have been singing the same song for 18 years. It’s as predictable as hearing Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The Browns finished 31st in run defense last year, allowing an average of 4.6 yards a carry and 18 rushing touchdowns. The league average was 4.2 yards a carry and 13.8 rushing touchdowns.
The Browns drafted end Myles Garrett first overall plus tackle Larry Ogunjobi in the third round and tackle Caleb Brantley in the sixth round to improve the defensive front seven. Kirksey was moved from inside linebacker to the outside. Tank Carder and Joe Schobert are battling to start at middle linebacker. The other outside spot belongs to Jamie Collins.
One half of the first preseason game doesn’t define the defense. But during practice on Aug. 13, during a live tackling session, running back Isaiah Crowell shot through a hole on the right side and didn’t stop until he crossed the goal line 70 yards later.
“We have to get off blocks, communicate better and tackle,” head coach Hue Jackson said after practice Aug. 14. “That’s all it is. I guarantee our guys will do that. We’ll get better at those things.”
The defense did have the upper hand during run plays on practice on Aug. 14. But the day ended with DeShone Kizer throwing a touchdown pass for 57 yards to Seth DeValve over backup linebacker James Burgess.
“Some days it goes the offense’s way, sometimes it goes the defense’s way,” Jackson said. “When you have an opportunity with a guy that can make plays with his arm, that’s unbelievable.
“Now I’m disappointed in the defense. We can’t let the ball go over our head in that situation. That’s the last play of the game.”
Jackson called the team together, as he always does at the end of practice, and then the defense had to do a series of “up-downs” as punishment for giving up the touchdown pass to DeValve.
Kirksey led the Browns with 143 tackles last season. According to the NFL, which credited him with 148, he finished third in the league in tackles.
Kirksey was on the field for all but two of the Browns 1,067 snaps taken by opponents (only the 49ers, Dolphins and Broncos faced more defensive snaps), yet he did not create a single turnover — no interceptions, no forced fumbles and no fumble recoveries.
And it wasn’t just Kirksey who failed to swipe the ball. The Browns had 13 takeaways in 2016. Only the Bears with 11 had fewer. Williams is trying to change that, too, along with making his group better tacklers during live tackling in practice.
“When the running back is carrying the ball and you’re chasing him from behind, try to go for the ball, try to punch it out,” Kirksey said. “Or looking down the quarterback, try to get a hint or get a tip on where he’s going, get a jump on the ball, so that’s something that I’m trying individually to work on.”
Kirksey, in his fourth season, has two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his career.