Defense about to get a run for its money
Browns’ offense will offer test with strong ground game
The Browns are a more talented, more established version of the type of offensive philosophy the Texans are trying to deploy, which makes Sunday’s game in Cleveland all the more interesting to see how new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith plans to attack and defend, well, themselves.
Flip on the film, and both teams are running a run-first scheme with a power-oriented series of pulling linemen, fullbacks and tight ends clearing the way for a gradual gashing that bleeds the clock and eventually produces favorable one-on-one matchups that enable downfield shots in the passing game.
Clearly, how both teams accomplish this is different. So are the circumstances in which they succeeded in their regular-season openers.
The Texans bullied the Jaguars, last year’s last-place team, with a diverse rotation of multi-tight end and two-back personnel groupings mostly out of shotgun and pistol formations.
The Browns blew an early lead against the Chiefs, a Super Bowl favorite, but built a 22-10 halftime cushion by pounding Kansas City with a sequence of under-center runs that sometimes involved a true fullback.
Second-year Browns coach Kevin Stefanski refined his scheme while serving as offensive coordinator with the Vikings in 2019, and in Cleveland, Stefanski can wear out defenses with one of the most talented running back duos in the NFL (Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt) and then turn to a former No. 1 pick and Heisman winner (Baker Mayfield) to connect deep with a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver (Jarvis Landry).
That’s enough firepower to challenge a rebuilding Texans defense, even with star Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. sidelined again as he recovers from ACL surgery. There’s enough balance to keep Smith from building a game plan that’s focused on any particular tendency.
“That in itself, to me, makes you play all things on all downs,” Smith said. “And that’s what’s really hard about what they do.”
On all downs, indeed. The Browns’ offense, which ranked 11th in the NFL last year in fourthdown attempts, continued to be aggressive by going for it four times against the Chiefs. Cleveland converted three attempts in the first half, and two of the extended drives eventually produced touchdowns.
Such aggression doesn’t necessarily
change Smith’s defensive play-calling. He said the Texans will just have to have their fourthdown package prepared. It just highlights, once again, the breadth of threats Cleveland’s offense has at Stefanski’s disposal.
“We talk about a balanced offense,” Smith said. “It’s all of those things that makes you cover an entire football field and, of course, on all downs too.”
Smith’s base defense is historically suited to a broad approach. He doesn’t blitz often. He lets his four-man front do the attacking while linebackers essentially play the infield in front of a secondary that reacts off instinct in coverages that are mostly based in zone.
The Texans rushed more than four defenders on just two pass attempts against the Jaguars, third fewest in the NFL according to Sports Info Solutions. Coach David Culley said they still succeeded in forcing Trevor Lawrence into unfavorable throws, and the rookie’s self-inflicted blunders included three interceptions.
Mayfield is a more established passer, a fourth-year veteran whom Smith called “one of the better quarterbacks playing in our league.” But his experience doesn’t necessarily demand that more blitzes must be sent to rattle him.
Mayfield is one of the NFL’s best passers under pressure. When defenses rushed more than four in 2020, the Browns quarterback completed 98 of 151 passes for 1,280 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions — a sum that highlights Mayfield’s knack for delivering passes while on the run.
Smith has often said he doesn’t want to rely on blitzing to produce an effective pass rush — although there will be rare blitzes, including one that produced the Texans’ only sack against Jacksonville — so it’s unlikely the Texans rush more than four at a significantly increased rate against the Browns, especially because they don’t want to overrun gaps against Cleveland’s efficient run game.
Such a situation places the onus on a Texans defensive line that just lost starting tackle Vincent Taylor, who was placed on the injured list with an ankle injury that will require surgery and might keep him out six weeks.
Ross Blacklock, a former second-round pick, impressed coaches with his performance against the Jaguars, and he’ll rotate in Taylor’s place along with rookie Roy Lopez.
“Everybody we dress (on the defensive line) we’ll play,” Smith said. “All of our guys played last week, and we’ll need eight-plus guys, defensive linemen, to be able to hold down the run and get a pass rush this week, too.”