Adin Huntington didn’t arrive in Cleveland as a headline name, but Thursday night in Pittsburgh gave him a chance to matter.
The Browns were already in the middle of a strong start, sitting at 3-1 through four games and finding different ways to win over the last three. Then the defense took a hit when Mason Graham went down on the first defensive series of the Browns’ Thursday night win over the Steelers.
That injury has since been diagnosed as an MCL sprain, and Graham is not expected to miss an extended stretch. But while Cleveland waited for that good news, Huntington stepped into the spotlight and made the most of the snaps he was handed.
The undrafted rookie had already shown a little something in limited work last season. He played 158 defensive snaps, finished with 15 combined tackles, a half sack and one quarterback hit in 13 games, and posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 64.8. Enough to hint at a player who could do more if the door ever opened.
Against Pittsburgh, the door swung wide.
Huntington logged four combined tackles, a sack and three quarterback hits across 48 defensive snaps, the most he has played in an NFL game. He was forced into heavier action after Graham and Mike Hall Jr. both left with injuries, and Cleveland’s defense kept rolling anyway.
"Credit to Jacques [Cesaire] and the defensive staff for having those guys ready to go," Monken said the day after the game. "And that’s the NFL, you’re going to lose players in a game, you’re going to lose them for an extended period of time.
And there’s a certain expectation of the position, and we don’t allow our coaches, and we’re not going to allow our players to make excuses. It doesn’t matter, next man up, and no one cares.
And we got to put our best foot forward and give ourselves a chance to win.”
There’s a real path here for Huntington to keep carving out a role even once Graham is back. His leverage and quickness make him a potential interior disruptor, and he could stay in the mix in clear pass-rush situations.
He also brings some college production with him. Over his final two seasons at Tulane and previously Louisiana-Monroe, Huntington totaled 12.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
For a Browns defense that already looks impressive, Thursday night suggested there may be another useful piece in the mix. If Huntington keeps building on that performance, Cleveland may have found something it wasn’t planning on.
In Other News...
Browns Defense Found Something That Is Fueling This Winning Streak
The Browns defense did not look like a unit ready to carry a winning streak out of Week 1, but it has settled in quickly since then. Over the last three games, Cleveland has started to play faster and with more confidence, and the change has been tied to defensive coordinator Jim Rutenbergs willingness to adjust the plan from week to week instead of sticking with one approach.
Rutenberg said recently that the staff is leaning into opponent tendencies and making sure the scheme fits the players strengths, which has helped the defense find a better rhythm. For a team riding a three-game surge, the bigger question now is whether that flexibility can keep paying off as the schedule brings a different kind of challenge each week. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Have One Jets Memory They Need To Leave Behind
The Browns head into Week 5 with plenty going their way, sitting at 3-1 and riding a three-game winning streak as they get ready to see the Jets again. For Cleveland, this is more than just another AFC meeting. It is also a reminder of how quickly a game against New York can tilt when special teams go sideways, and why the units sharper play this season has become part of the teams early success.
Clevelands recent progress in that phase has helped steady things around a roster trying to stack wins early in the year, and the Browns will want that reliability to hold up in New York. The Jets arrive at 1-3, but the Browns know the matchup does not need much help to turn tense, so keeping the hidden-yardage battle under control could be the difference between extending the run and reopening an old wound. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Have A Defensive Line Problem Heading Into Jets Game
The Browns defensive front took a hit this week as they prepared for a matchup with the Jets, with Mason Graham and Mike Hall Jr. both unavailable after leaving the previous game with injuries. Both linemen missed recent practices, which made their status hard to miss as the week wore on, and their absence leaves Cleveland thinner in an area that usually helps set the tone for the defense.
With Graham and Hall Jr. sidelined, the Browns will need others to carry more of the load up front. Collins, Huntington and Williams are among the players expected to see expanded roles, giving Cleveland a different look in the trenches as it tries to steady a line that suddenly has more questions than it did just a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]