Guard Joel Bitonio, the longest-tenured Brown, believes relations with the defense are good despite the struggles of the offense. (Associated Press)
Joel Bitonio: ‘There’s no tension’ between Browns’ floundering offense and surging defense
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
If you’re frustrated, aggravated, angry (pick one) with the Browns’ offense, imagine being a member of the Browns’ defense.
In Green Bay on Christmas Day, the Browns’ defense limited the Packers to three points in the second half after Aaron Rodgers had turned three Baker Mayfield interceptions into 21 points in the first half. Mayfield’s fourth interception in the final minute, of course, sealed the 24-22 Browns’ defeat.
That was as frustrating as watching the Browns’ offense score only three points off four interceptions of Lamar Jackson in the Nov. 28 game in Baltimore, a 16-10 Browns’ loss.
Just one more field goal and touchdown by the offense in those games, respectively, would have virtually wrapped up the AFC North title for the Browns.
So I asked guard Joel Bitonio, the longest-tenured Brown, what’s the state of relations between the defense and offense these days. I mean, did he feel the need to talk them off the ledge after the debacle in Green Bay?
“Honestly, I have not personally felt any tension between the defense and the offense,” Bitonio said. “Our defense has played well, especially the last few weeks, and we appreciate that.
“There is no tension. That might be something in years past, but the guys are focused on winning and taking care of their business. Honestly, we want to capitalize when we get the ball and really try and play complementary football, but it is not something that is tearing our team down.
“Really, we have not even had a talk about it. It is something that obviously you want to play better. If you get four interceptions, you want to win the game, and you obviously do not want to turn the ball over on offense. There is no separating the locker room. I think guys are in a good headspace, and we are in a good position as a team.”
But what about safety John Johnson, who was inactive for the Packers' game, live-tweeting after the second Mayfield interception, “RUN THE DAMN BALL”?
Bitonio claims he was unaware of Johnson’s tweet of frustration until I asked him about it.
“He is watching the game, and he has kind of turned into a fan,” Bitonio said.
“He is an emotional guy. I do not think it matters, honestly. He can feel that way, and there are certain things that people say and people do, and that is the great thing about social media -- everybody has a voice and everybody has an opinion, and anybody can say anything.
“He is a teammate of ours, and we respect him. He is a leader for our defense and stuff like that, but in the moment, he probably wanted us to run the ball, just like every fan does when you throw a pick or something like that. It is part of it.
“We have all of the faith in Bake and Coach [Kevin] Stefanski. There have been too many games that have been decided by one touchdown that we have not won, but we still have a chance at this thing, and I still have all of the faith in our offense.”
They’re keepers
COVID-positives and rampant injuries have given some unheralded players opportunities all over the league, especially with the Browns. Two Browns in particular have made the most of those opportunities while playing in the last year of their contract. They are running back D’Ernest Johnson and safety M.J. Stewart.
Johnson’s backstory is well-known by now.
The former mahi-mahi fisherman DM’d coaches and GMs to get a job in the short-lived Alliance of American Football league, and then was noticed and signed by the Browns in the final season of the John Dorsey regime.
In two starts this year with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt unavailable, Johnson rushed for 146 yards and one touchdown in a 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos – a clutch victory that looks more impressive now -- and had 99 yards in the blowout loss in New England. Johnson's 30-yard run on third-and-10 in Green Bay set up the Browns' final touchdown to draw within 2 late in the game.
For bits of three seasons now, Johnson has a career rushing average of 5.5 yards.
Stewart’s story is less known.
He was a second-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2018, taken 53rd overall – just 18 spots after Chubb and ahead of 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (70th), Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard (77th), and Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (86th). The Bucs waived Stewart in the 2020 training camp and he was claimed by the Andrew Berry regime.
Stewart has been a stalwart on special teams, and a capable backup at nickel back and safety. Stewart led the Browns in tackles the past two games with 11 and 10. He was pressed into a starting role in the wild-card victory in Pittsburgh last year and turned in 10 tackles and an interception. Stewart’s open-field tackling has been especially dynamic in the close losses to the Raiders and Packers.
“The only thing that came to my mind was ‘it is my time now,’” Stewart said of his starting roles the past two games with Browns safeties decked by COVID.
“That is literally the only thing, and just take advantage of this opportunity. With football, you never know how many opportunities you are going to get. You do not know when your next one is coming so any opportunity you get, you have to take full advantage of it. That is all I told myself.”
Johnson will be a restricted free agent in March, and Stewart can be unrestricted. Both players have been big reasons the Browns are still alive in the division race and have earned new deals.
Memories of Big Ben
Monday night’s game in Pittsburgh will be Ben Roethlisberger’s 30th game against the Browns and his last in Heinz Field as Steelers quarterback.
Roethlisberger’s 23rd game against the Browns was Denzel Ward’s first in the NFL. Ward’s smashing debut in the season opener in 2018 included two interceptions and three pass breakups in a 21-21 tie.
“Yeah, my first rookie game,” Ward said with a smile. “I remember going against Antonio Brown and getting two interceptions on Ben, so that would definitely be nice to repeat that [in his final game against Ben]. The main focus is going in, doing our job and trying to get a win.”
Ward missed the two climactic games against Pittsburgh last season because of COVID and the Oct. 31 game against them with a hamstring injury.
