Defensive Improvements Needed Urgently for the Cleveland Browns

As the Cleveland Browns fight for a spot in the AFC playoffs, their defense has emerged as the biggest barrier to success. Through 14 weeks of the 2024 season, the unit ranks 22nd in points allowed per game (24.8), 25th in rushing yards allowed (121.3 per game), and has forced just 16 turnovers—well below the league average of 21. What’s more alarming is the defense’s inability to close games: in four losses decided by four points or fewer, the Browns gave up game-winning scores in the final two minutes three times. For a team with an offense capable of scoring 23+ points per game, these defensive lapses aren’t just frustrating—they’re season-derailing. Defensive Improvements Needed Urgently for the Cleveland Browns breaks down the critical areas that demand fixing, the impact of inaction, and why immediate changes are necessary to keep playoff hopes alive.

Defensive Improvements Needed Urgently for the Cleveland Browns starts with the run defense—a longstanding weakness that has only worsened with injuries. The Browns have allowed 100+ rushing yards in seven games this season, including a 145-yard performance by Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon and a 123-yard day from Houston’s Devin Singletary. The root cause lies in the interior defensive line: after Maliek Collins’ season-ending quad injury, the Browns have relied on a rotation of Jordan Elliott (fresh off a calf strain), Shelby Harris (limited by knee pain), and backup Tommy Togiai—who has just 87 career defensive snaps. This group has struggled to clog running lanes, forcing linebackers to overcommit and creating gaps for opposing backs to exploit. “We’re not winning the line of scrimmage, and that’s killing us,” said defensive line coach Chris Kiffin. “When a running back gets past the first level, it puts our entire defense out of position. We need more physicality, more discipline, and more consistency up front—now.” Without fixing the run defense, the Browns will continue to let teams control the clock, tire out their defense, and limit their offense’s chances to score.

Defensive Improvements Needed Urgently for the Cleveland Browns shifts to the secondary, where inconsistency has turned potential stops into opponent touchdowns. The Browns’ cornerbacks, led by Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II, have shown flashes of brilliance—Ward has 11 pass breakups, and Newsome has two interceptions—but they’ve also made costly mistakes. Ward’s late-game blown coverage against Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins cost the Browns a win in Week 13, while Newsome has allowed a 63% completion rate when targeted. The safety position is even more problematic: Grant Delpit has missed 11 tackles (tied for the most among NFL safeties), and rookie Ronnie Hickman has struggled to read NFL offenses, leading to two critical pass interference calls in Week 12. “Our secondary has the talent to be good, but they’re not playing with focus,” said defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. “One play they’ll make a game-changing interception, the next they’ll miss a tackle or blow a coverage. Against quarterbacks like Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes, those mistakes are fatal.” The secondary’s struggles are compounded by the run defense’s issues—safeties often have to leave their coverage to help stop the run, creating open receivers downfield.

Defensive Improvements Needed Urgently for the Cleveland Browns delves into the pass rush, which—despite Myles Garrett’s dominance—lacks depth and consistency. Garrett leads the team with 11 sacks, but he’s been double-teamed on 68% of his snaps this season, and no other defensive player has more than 3.5 sacks. Defensive end Za’Darius Smith, signed in free agency to complement Garrett, has been limited by a back injury and has failed to generate consistent pressure. This lack of depth means opposing offenses can shift their protection to focus on Garrett, giving quarterbacks more time to throw. In the Week 14 loss to Houston, Texans QB C.J. Stroud had 3.2 seconds to throw on average—well above the league average of 2.7 seconds—and completed 72% of his passes. “Myles is doing everything he can, but he can’t do it alone,” Schwartz admitted. “We need other players to step up and win one-on-one matchups. Without that, our pass rush will keep stalling, and our secondary will keep getting exposed.” For the Cleveland Browns, fixing the pass rush isn’t just about sacking quarterbacks—it’s about disrupting timing, forcing bad decisions, and giving their inconsistent secondary a chance to succeed.

Defensive Improvements Needed Urgently for the Cleveland Browns explores the need for schematic adjustments—specifically, scaling back on risky blitzes that have backfired. Schwartz’s aggressive scheme has the Browns blitzing on 34% of their snaps (7th-highest in the NFL), but they’ve allowed a 72% completion rate and 8.1 yards per pass when blitzing (both among the worst in the league). Part of the problem is that the Browns’ linebackers and safeties haven’t been effective as blitzers: Anthony Walker Jr. has just one sack on 28 blitz attempts, and Delpit has yet to record a tackle for loss on his 15 blitzes. “We’re blitzing to create pressure, but we’re not getting there—and when we don’t, we leave our secondary hanging,” Schwartz said. A more conservative approach—like dropping extra defenders into coverage and relying on Garrett and Smith to generate pressure with four rushers—could help limit big plays. For the Cleveland Browns, this shift would require swallowing pride and adapting to the team’s current personnel limitations. It’s not ideal, but it’s necessary to stop the bleeding.

Defensive Improvements Needed Urgently for the Cleveland Browns wraps up with the stakes: without immediate defensive improvements, the Browns’ playoff hopes will vanish. Their remaining schedule includes matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers (who rush for 118 yards per game) and the Denver Broncos (who have a revitalized passing attack led by Russell Wilson). If the run defense doesn’t improve, the Steelers will control the clock and keep the Browns’ offense off the field. If the secondary doesn’t tighten up, Wilson will pick apart their coverage for big gains. Even if the Browns make the playoffs, a flawed defense will likely result in a quick exit against top seeds like Baltimore or Kansas City. “This is do-or-die time for our defense,” said head coach Kevin Stefanski. “We have the talent to be better—we just need to execute, play with discipline, and fix the little things that are costing us games.” For the Cleveland Browns, the message is clear: improve the defense now, or watch another promising season slip away. The clock is ticking, and there’s no time left to waste.