Cleveland's Defensive Line Will Make Its Mark on Sunday
Cleveland's defensive line has been the story for the entire season. Much like every other storyline for the Browns this year, this group has been up and it has been down.
This group took the NFL by storm at the beginning of the season. Myles Garrett was leading the league in sacks, the interior was much improved, Ogbo Okoronkwo and Za'Darius Smith were contributing and they were making it tough on opposing offenses.
Dec 10, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates after the Jacksonville Jaguars were called for a penalty during the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
© Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Then they hit a lull around Weeks 9 and 10. Some injuries started to occur and more importantly, teams changed the way they attacked this Browns team.
Since Week 9 against Arizona, the quarterbacks that the Browns have been getting the ball out fast. Here is what the Cleveland defense has faced:
- Week 9: Clayton Tune - 2.74 seconds (9th)
- Week 10: Lamar Jackson - 2.91 seconds (20th)
- Week 11: Kenny Pickett - 2.5 seconds (4th)
- Week 12: Russell Wilson - 3.35 seconds (28th)
- Week 13: Matthew Stafford - 2.55 seconds (4th)
- Week 14: Trevor Lawrence - 2.52 seconds (3rd)
The quicker the opposing quarterback gets rid of the football, the less impact that the defensive line can have. That time is impacted by how tight the secondary is playing and how well or how poorly the offense's protection is holding up.
The two outliers here are Lamar Jackson in Week 10 and Russell Wilson in Week 12. Against Jackson in Week 10, Cleveland was able to get three sacks on him and help steal a victory from the Ravens.
In Week 12, Wilson only threw for 152 yards but his throws were timely and enough to get the win.
In the other four games, the defensive line has been neutralized by the quarterbacks' ability to get the football out quickly. The positive news is that Justin Fields is currently ranked 37th quickest in all of the NFL with a time to throw of 3.13 seconds. He has the slowest time to throw in the NFL for quarterbacks with a minimum of 113 passing attempts.
Fields holds onto the football longer than anyone in the league and this opens the door for the Browns defensive line to cause havoc against the fourth-year man from Ohio State.
A win on Sunday puts Cleveland at the cusp of the playoffs. Expect this defensive line to have a huge impact on getting the job done.
