Browns defensive backs are having a helluva year despite two total interceptions
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Second thoughts on Browns 19-17 victory over San Francisco 49ers …
1. One thing Jim Schwartz keeps preaching while overseeing the reincarnation of the Browns’ defense is that it is not a one-man or two-man show, that every player on the field contributes. That has certainly been true in the three defensive gems Schwartz has spun, including Sunday’s 19-17 masterpiece against the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers. Myles Garrett always has a big impact, of course, and is weaving his finest season. But Schwartz doesn’t rely on Garrett alone fueling the unit. On Sunday, tackle Dalvin Tomlinson had his best game with the Browns, particularly during a stretch in the middle when the 49ers accumulated a scant 82 yards over 35 offensive plays, enabling the Browns’ offense to chip away at a 10-0 deficit. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had quite an NFL defensive slash line – one sack/three tackles for loss/two quarterback hits/one pass defensed/near interception. And cornerback Martin Emerson became the first player this year to intercept Brock Purdy. Not to mention the continued superlative play of cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit. Schwartz’s defensive system always starts with his defensive front, but it’s interesting to hear opposing coaches continue to laud the Browns’ defensive backs. After the Game 1 trouncing of the Bengals, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin began Steelers week by citing the Browns’ cornerbacks for the big defensive show against Cincinnati. On Sunday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was asked what makes the Browns’ defense so good. He said, “They have the talent and the scheme.” And right after that, he said, “They have two corners that are really good. They actually have three.”
M.J. Emerson and Denzel Ward, along with Greg Newsome, are receiving credit from opposing teams each week. (Cleveland Browns)
2. Emerson’s first career interception was only the team’s second through five games (Delpit has the other), tying the Browns with four other teams for the lowest interception total in the league. I maintain it’s a fluke that will be corrected by the middle of the season. And then Schwartz’s defense will earn even more plaudits than it’s receiving now. Greg Newsome should have had an interception and JOK needed about four more inches of height to get one. But the lack of interceptions hardly obscures the consistently fine play of the cornerbacks. For example, Emerson saved a touchdown with a tackle of Christian McCaffrey at the Browns’ 14 early in the second quarter. The defense held the 49ers to a field goal in the red zone. A 10-0 deficit proved more manageable than what easily could have been 14-0. Emerson’s pick set off one of those full defensive team celebrations that Schwartz encourages. “Oh, man, that was special,” Ward said. “MJ, he’s been playing elite. He’s definitely been one of the biggest reasons we’ve been able to get the wins that we got so far. He’s been playing great ball, locking his side of the field down, and had a big play yesterday. [The interception] was special, for him to get his first one and … us being able to cheer him on and go out there, celebrate, take pictures and everything on the field. So, it was exciting. It was fun to see.”
3. Deshaun Watson is “day to day” this week, per Kevin Stefanski. Still traumatized by the Baltimore experience, the coach won’t even acknowledge rampant national "insider" reports that the Browns are encouraged that their starting quarterback will be back in the saddle Sunday in Indianapolis. The next check point is Wednesday to see if Watson will be on the field to throw the ball competitively – i.e., to receivers downfield and not trainers five yards away – for the first time in 24 days.
4. If P.J. Walker never starts another game in his Browns career he would join only four other quarterbacks with unblemished records in the history of the Browns. The leaders are Don Strock (1988) and Case Keenum (2020-21), who were 2-0. Others with career 1-0 marks are HOF Len Dawson (1961) and Don Gault (1970). Gault was actually credited with a career win as a starter in a 15-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Terry Bradshaw’s rookie year despite going 1 of 16 with two interceptions and producing a 0.00 passer rating. Mike Phipps relieved Gault in the game and saved the day with a 53-yard TD pass. Of all of them, Strock's two wins -- in the role of QB4 that season -- were vital to the club's wild-card berth.
5. Walker earned his win by rescuing the QB situation in the throes of Watson’s injury and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s unfortunate stand-in v. Baltimore. After the win over the 49ers, Stefanski disclosed that he had a good understanding of Walker’s make-up through senior offensive assistant Kevin Rogers. Rogers recruited Walker to Temple University in 2012 as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. “Kevin Rogers sat in that kid’s living room. He’s been with his family, he knows what that kid’s about and he’s told me about him,” Stefanski said. “So I knew what P.J. was about coming into this, when he came onto our team. And then I just figured that kid’s been fighting for everything his whole life, his whole career and that’s kind of what we needed this week.” All of which should have made Walker the primary backup to Watson much sooner than Game 5. I asked Stefanski what were the circumstances that prevented Walker from starting the Baltimore game, instead of the raw, wide-eyed DTR. He failed to suppress a wry smile and answered, “Yeah, I understand what you’re asking, but I’m not going to go back and worry about Baltimore. Really focusing [on] moving forward.” My suspicions are that DTR’s start was an “organizational” decision. It will be interesting to see how GM Andrew Berry responds to the obvious need to keep Walker on the regular roster through the rest of the season.
6. It was encouraging to see Stefanski not go for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 43 with 13:27 to play and the Browns up, 13-10. On the FOX broadcast of the game, analyst Greg Olsen brayed, “I don’t love it. The better your defense is, the more aggressive you should be. I think Cleveland needs to be more aggressive.” Stefanski put tight end Harrison Bryant under center in his new QB sneak look, but thought better of it and took a delay of game penalty before punting. “They changed the spot on us. It was fourth and inches, I think, and then it became fourth-and-1, and just felt like the way our defense was playing, let’s play the field position game there,” Stefanski explained. Through his first three seasons, Stefanski led all coaches in fourth-down gambles, and, as a result, fourth-down failures. This year, his five fourth-down attempts are tied for ninth-fewest in the league. By the way, Corey Bojorquez’s punt initiated a 49ers possession at their 18, resulting in their own punt after a three-and-out. Punting can be an effective weapon in a tight game, but analytics see it as cowardice.
