Cleveland pitched a shutout over the final three quarters against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Ipso facto, the Cleveland Browns are 4-2.
Todd Monken’s team beat Baltimore 13-10 on Andre Szmyt’s 37-yard field goal as time expired, and once again the defense did the heavy lifting.
The Browns have allowed 19, 18, 24, 17, and 10 points over their last five games, according to Pro Football Reference.
The offense entered Sunday averaging 18.6 points per game, good for 27th in the league, and converting 30.6% of its third downs, good for 31st. Those two sides of the ball aren’t pulling in the same direction yet.
A defense that wins without Myles Garrett? Yup
Baltimore scored on its first two drives and then had seven punts, a missed field goal and a lost fumble on its last nine possessions.
Carson Schwesinger had 13 tackles and forced Derrick Henry’s fumble in the fourth quarter, and the Browns held Henry to 58 yards on 17 carries.
This is the same defense that was supposed to take a step back after the Myles Garrett trade.
Instead, Cleveland has kept winning without Garrett, with Quincy Williams, Isaiah McGuire and Maliek Collins each recording a sack Sunday. The Browns entered the week 15th in EPA per play allowed, according to Sumer Sports. Sunday should only push that number up.
What Todd Monken should change
Deshaun Watson was sacked five times Sunday, a week after the Jets sacked him eight times. He has a habit of holding the ball too long, and the Browns have now allowed 24 sacks in six games.
Every one of those drive-killing losses puts more pressure on a defense that’s already carrying the team.
Monken doesn’t need to turn this into a ground-and-pound offense, especially with Quinshon Judkins hurt. He does need to get the ball out of Watson’s hands faster, though, with more quick throws to Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, and the running backs. Jeudy caught all four of his targets for 69 yards Sunday, and Concepcion had four catches on six targets.
The Browns have been winning close games all season, and we’ve written that Watson’s late-game comebacks are hiding an offense that isn’t good enough. Four wins by four points or fewer is a fun ride, but it’s a thin margin.
A defense this good deserves an offense that protects it by staying ahead of the chains and out of long-yardage situations.
Cleveland heads to Nashville next to face a Titans team that scares nobody on offense.
The Browns don’t need Watson to win the game, but they definitely need him to avoid losing it.
