The Browns head into Week 2 with a clear problem staring them in the face: their linebackers have to clean up a mess that opened the door in a big way against the Jaguars.
Cleveland’s defense wasn’t just off last week - it looked disorganized. The Browns missed 17 tackles in the season opener, and the linebacking group was especially shaky against the pass.
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Carson Schwesinger, and Quincy Williams combined to allow seven catches on eight targets for 104 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville. Williams, in particular, had a rough day, surrendering 59 yards and showing up in a now-viral clip of him standing still for several seconds before finally reacting to a Trevor Lawrence throw.
That kind of coverage breakdown is exactly the sort of thing Baker Mayfield can exploit.
Tampa Bay brings a strong offensive line into this matchup, and even with Jared Verse on the edge and Mason Graham inside, getting to Mayfield is going to be a challenge. If Cleveland can’t get home quickly, Mayfield’s ability to work fast and take what’s there - especially on checkdowns and short throws - could put the Browns’ second level under constant stress.
That means more than just making tackles after the catch. Cleveland’s linebackers have to prevent those easy completions from turning into bigger gains in the first place. Their hand usage at the catch point needs to be sharper, and the pursuit angles that were so sloppy in Week 1 have to tighten up fast.
Defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg has taken plenty of heat after the opener, and it’s not hard to see why. Expectations in Berea were high, and there were real questions about how a first-time play-caller would handle replacing Jim Schwartz. But the problems against Jacksonville weren’t all on the coordinator.
The players have to execute, too.
Williams was brought in to inject energy into the group, but too often he was on the wrong end of the big plays. Schwesinger, meanwhile, is generally reliable in coverage, so there’s a chance his issues were tied to rust after missing significant preseason time.
Whatever the reason, Cleveland needs a better showing at the second level against a Buccaneers offense that can work through Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. The Browns need to get back to their identity: making life miserable on defense.
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