Anthony Bennett has operation to cure sleep apnea
May 14, 2014Peter King details Cleveland’s trade to move up to No. 22 in NFL Draft
May 14, 2014The adage in the NFL has long been that “Defense Wins Championships.” For all of the Peyton Manning record-breaking seasons, the Seattle Seahawks proved this saying to true once again with their Super Bowl win last season. The Seahawks won with a dominating defense that stopped the high-powered, Manning-led Denver Broncos. It’s a copycat league and this model of defense appears to be under constrution here in Cleveland under new head coach Mike Pettine. Adding to the defense that was built a season ago, the Browns appear to be believes in that very adage.
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Replacing head coach Rob Chudzinski with Pettine was a sign that the team was going more towards defense. Pettine was the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills and has coached on the defensive side of the ball for most of his career in the NFL. He has instituted a tough and passionate style of football with which he wants the team to play, dubbing it “Playing like a Brown.” Pettine will make the team a defensive-orientated team that will match well in the tough AFC North. The team will be running a hybrid 3-4 defense that plays press coverage in the secondary. Pettine makes his corners play on the line, asking them to play one-on-one (“on an island”), which allows the other defenders to blitz and help stop run. He has modeled his defensive philosophy after the Rex Ryan Jets’ defense.
Pettine was instrumental in the acquisitions on the defensive side of the ball. The Browns started off the offseason with the big free agent signings of Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner. With these additions, the team upgraded their physicality, but both players also add more versatility then their predecessors, D’Qwell Jackson and T.J. Ward. Dansby and Whitner are players who are solid in coverage along with their run stopping. They both add size and athleticism that helps in playing all over the field and in different roles. The NFL is still a passing league so the defense needed more players who can cover. As a bonus: They also add leadership to a young defense and the overall team.
But wait, there’s more. The Browns continued their upgrade on defense through the draft, picking up two big corners who can play in his press coverage in Justin Gilbert and Pierre Desir. Both players are adept in man-to-man coverage and give the team a great complement to Joe Haden. They also added inside linebacker Christian Kirksey to improve their overall linebacking corps. Kirksey is a very athletic player that once again adds versatility because of his coverage skills and toughness. They also added a defensive back and defensive lineman following the draft.
[Related: Mike Pettine: Defensive Chameleon]
So over the course of the offseason, Pettine has added players that fit his vision of a defensive scheme. The team has completely revamped the passing defense with the additions of these players to a unit that was already talented. The Browns are loaded up front with a lot of depth and the outside linebackers have lot of guys who can get to the quarterback. The front seven was a strength of the team last year and the weakest part of it, the middle linebackers, got better this offseason. Karlos Dansby is a player who can stabilize the middle of the field. He along with Kirksey have given the middle linebacker position players who can give the team versatility.
The secondary was the biggest question mark, one that needed to be improved over the offseason and that was exactly what they did. The Browns added two big corners in Gilbert and Desir. These two will allow Buster Skrine to be moved inside and play the slot, which, despite his improvement in 2013, allows him to play to his strengths. The corners now have depth and versatility because of the different types of corners they have. Gilbert is a bigger corner who will complement the smaller Joe Haden as the No. 2 cornerback. The safety position has improved in coverage because of the addition of Donte Whitner who is a better cover safety than his predecessor in T.J. Ward. The improvements needed in the secondary were addressed, making it one of the most improved part of the defense, one that should allow the team to not only get off of the field on third downs, but put additional pressure on teams during the two-minute drill—two of their biggest weaknesses in 2013.
Though Ray Farmer has gone to work, adding several players to the defensive side of the ball, Mike Pettine, his head coach might be the biggest addition to that side of the ball. The defense is the backbone of a Mike Pettine team. It will be the side of the ball that will set the tone for the season. The Browns added toughness, leadership, and experience to a defense that will hopefully propel it to one of the best in the league. This is a team that hasn’t had an identity since the return in ’99, but will now have one as they strive to overpower their opponents.
30 Comments
I usually roll my eyes every year when team X wins the Super Bowl and then 12-13 other teams shamelessly copy that team’s blueprint in the following Draft/offseason. It’s not called a copycat league for nothing. But in this case, I don’t think Pettine is simply looking at Seattle’s “big” cornerbacks (who up until a year ago were, per conventional league wisdom, “slow” cornerbacks) and hoping for a miracle. He’s actually doing much the same thing he helped build with the Jets. On paper, Haden and Gilbert compare with Revis and Cromartie. The Jets also had a solid, aggressive front seven, which hopefully the Browns can replicate. The pass rush still leaves something to be desired, and the run defense will take a hit without TJ Ward. But with solid corners and ball hawks in Whitner and Gilbert, the Browns should be more comfortable blitzing in most situations. The fact is, if we can come close to matching the Jets’ D from 3-4 years ago, we’ll be in great shape. Mark freaking Sanchez rode that defense to 2 straight AFC championships for crying out loud!
best part of Pettine is that he has always adapted the defense to the players and not the players to the defense. he is going to try to find what our players do best and put them in positions to do it. and, if he is missing a type of player he needs, he is going to go ask Farmer to find it for him (enter Gilbert).
have to like that mindset. now, let’s show it on the field.
It would be an amazing draft if every player we drafted is an impact starter. For some reason, history seams to tell me that wont be the case.
What’s really interesting about the D and O is that the D is really built to eliminate the strengths of most successful teams in the league right now: If you want to beat us, you won’t do it throwing the ball, so good luck trying to beat us running the ball.
On the flip side of the ball, they’re saying “meanwhile, we’re going to do exactly that to you.” We’re going to pound you with a run-based O with mobile QBs who can also throw accurately, so be ready for some runs/play-actions/roll outs from guys who do exactly that really well.
Basically, it’s not being copycats at all. It’s the Browns saying, “If you want to beat us, you’ll have to do it playing our game better than we do.” I love it.
Not to mention improving the stock of other positions while also planning for the future. Case in point: Johnny Cleveland sitting behind and learning from Hoyer and Thigpen (who projects to be primary backup).
Could the Browns be copying THEMSELVES from previous years? The QB position is looking similar to Brian Sipe, RB could be Byner and Mack, CB would be Dixon and Minnifield. As long as the Schottenheimer Prevent defense doesn’t return this team should be just fine.
For the last few years, I have been reading comments on this site indicating that the league has changed and we must become an offensive powerhouse to succeed. I go back to the late 50’s and from then until now defense is the rock on which success is built. Even the great 49ers of Montana had a great defense lead by Ronnie Lott et al. Defense is more consistent, and as the Ravens and Bucs have shown, you can win it all with a great defense and an average QB. I am very impressed with Pettine. Give him another draft or two, and I fully expect us to be at the top.
49ers and Seahawks were last and 2nd to last in pass attempts last year. They were 2nd and 3rd in rush attempts (Buffalo was 1st). I really think we’re seeing a shift back to a more balanced offensive game.
Perhaps, though just a year prior NE and NYG were near opposite certainly defensively.
The defense would be dominant if everything goes perfectly. Lets be realistic though.
1) Dansby and Whitner should both be solid. Dansby is reaching an age where he’ll start to decline soon, and it could start this season. Whitner will bring some things that Ward didn’t in terms of leadership and coverage ability, but I’d expect him to have about the same impact.
2) Unless the light bulb comes on for Mingo, our defense lacks a dominant pass rusher. With the same OLB’s we still appear to be vulnerable to screen passes and speed backs on the outside, unless Pettine finds a way to shore this up with the existing personnel.
3) Gilbert will be a rookie corner. I think he can become a very good corner, but this year he’s going to get picked on a lot.
4) Kirksey has a good chance to win the starting job, and at the very least should be in on passing downs. He’s not Kiko Alonso, but he should help to improve a major weakness. He’s also a rookie and will make his share of mistakes.
5) Desir will play special teams and add depth. Barring injury, he won’t be on the field much.
6) Trufant is battling for a roster spot with about five other guys.
7) There isn’t a single WR on this roster (not facing suspension) who any NFL team would want as a #1 or 2. Defenses will stack the box and we’ll have a lot of 3 and outs. If we don’t find a way to improve our WR’s, our defense will be on the field a lot, and be gassed the entire 4th qtr.
“He has modeled his defensive philosophy after the Rex Ryan Jets’ defense.”
ummm…. Rex Ryan was the head coach of those Jets. The Defensive coordinator of that Jets defense was some guy named Mike Pettine.
both had tremendously mobile QBs, though, so who knows how many of those pass plays turned into run plays?
I agree with all of this. One counterpoint to note is that the Browns had a top 5 defense for a good portion of last season even with the weaknesses you mention above, until the wheels started falling off. (the ever changing qb situation contributing to the general lack of offense which frustrated the D, a few late game meltdowns by the D, and the D started losing a little confidence).
I think it’s possible to take a step forward on D given the fact that just last year we were all saying that the Browns had one of the youngest teams in the NFL. If these young guys take steps forward into their prime and Dansby/Whitner don’t fall off the map, and Pettine motivates/coaches…okay it’s starting to become a lot of “ifs”…but I do believe there is a reasonable expectation of improvement to the point of top 8-10 D for the entire season.
If that’s the case and we hold opposing scores down, then we can certainly improve our wins total from the standard 4 to maybe 7-8.
Then another offseason to shore up the wr spot and we win the following 6 super bowls in a row to become the greatest sports dynasty ever!
i feel that defenses stack the box more against the QB than against the receivers. Anyone in the NFL can run straight down the field pretty fast. But, if you have a guy like Hoyer, who gets rid of the ball quickly, you have a defense that may get burned by stacking the box too often.
But the Browns will see their fair share of 8-man lines – but this is due mostly to the running game becoming a strength. Plus, now with a more solid OL (i.e. no Cousins) the line should fare well against these types of schemes.
The Browns were one of the youngest teams last year but they replaced some youth with age, so the point you make about being young and improving is not holding water. They may improve but it will just be due to bringing in better players and, hopefully, not having to remember about #53.
you mean Connor Shaw
I feel a big reason our defense started to struggle is because our offense couldn’t stay on the field. No matter how talented you are, eventually exhaustion kicks in.
Mike who?
It’s Pettine, but, hey, still pretty cool
Look at you. Someone’s head over heels …
Whitner 28 replaced Ward 27. Dansby 32 replaced Jackson 30. Not sure that aged the D by enough to displace my point. Plus we added Gilbert 22, Kirksey 21, Desir 23.
And with these contributors…
T Gipson 23, Haden 25, Skrine 25, A Bryant 23, A Rubin 27, P Taylor 26, B Winn 25, D Bryant 28, J Hughes 25, Kruger 28, Mingo 23, Sheard 25, I’m feeling like most will be taking a step forward from what was a strong D for a nice portion of last year.
I could certainly be wrong but I’m seeing water being held right now!
Nice that in drafting and signing free agents our GM seems to have followed a blue print designed in conjunction with his coach. Sure, that’s normal. But by comparison it reveals last year’s weird shredding of the running back position as the dysfunction between the FO and coaches that it was.
Three months have passed and I still don’t miss that painfully forced Banner grin and his eastern promises that everything was just aces. Though I DO appreciate that #26 pick, Mr. King!
Love it
i mean, you really state the obvious, which really hasn’t been obvious here since, well, ever.
well, this is the first time a GM has ever drafted and UDFA-signed pretty much all players that I had on my “must draft” list. so, I’m going to live this up before any of them prove to be the wrong picks.
I am not sure they were 5th for a good portion of the season,also not sure points and TD’s given up are involved till later in the season…but in points we were in the bottom 3rd of the league at the and and lower still in TD’s given up by the end of the season. Pass statistics always seem to have way to much wieght in the rankings,and rush statistics seem ignored almost. Every time the Browns D,since our return has been highly rated it always seemed like BS,since it didn’t match what I saw nor did it seem to win many games. I guess in the end I trust my eyes and end results more than the stats,I also wonder if those rankings at 5th were prior to the team losing 11 of 12(if so I don’t think a third of a season=’s a good portion by any standard).
Even NFL analysts agree yards/play is a good barometer of a defense. Browns YPP on DEF was top 5 most of year unil the final 4 games.
However, even when playing well, the Browns struggled to get off the field on 3rd downs. I was confused by what Horton was trying at some times last year, but an infusion of talent can only help.
To say it was not a very good/good defense, by looking at actual performance, is inaccurate.
You know your history, Kildawg. I miss those days of Earnest Byner and big Kevin Mack “Mack Truck”. When Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield shut down receivers. Now, if we could get a receiver to mimmick Webster Slaughter (at least), we may have something in the making while Josh serves his sentence. Hopefully Josh will get it together so we can really build something special.
I guess I can go back and find the facts to be 100% accurate if that will appease. But the truth is, going on memory, I remember around game 8 hearing that the Browns D was in the top 5 maybe top 8 and thinking if the offense could score a little or at least sustain a drive then they could be a good team.
If you want to dissect what “good portion” means to you versus to me then that’s a different story. The D was good last year for “a while” before they fell off. I propose they can be better due to young players taking a little step forward and obviously also adding linebackers and corners. If you disagree that’s fine. I’m just hoping they can and surmising that the team has a chance to be better.
You are “wondering” if the rankings were only the first 5 games and then using that “wondering” to shoot down my hypothesis. Not nice.
I’m trying to dream here and you’re walking all up in it banging pots and pans.
Thanks scripty. I too remember them being top 5. 3rd downs killed them at times and if it wasn’t for Haden putting guys in the sleeper hold it could have been a lot worse.