Dawgs By Nature
A bright spot has emerged out of nowhere on the unit that has played the best for the Browns.
The Cleveland Browns have struggled to play football at a high level this season. There isn’t a specific unit you can point to as playing to the standard that was established during last year’s playoff run.
Heading into their matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Browns have only converted on third down twelve times through five games. They rank near the bottom in every offensive statistical category as the offense has looked abysmal.
Heck, punter Corey Bojorquez might be the team’s MVP.
Making matters worse, the five opponents that Cleveland has faced collectively rank 32nd (last) in the league in pass defense. That is an epic accomplishment, considering they have all played the Browns once.
The defense has also not played well, and they’ve avoided much of the blame due to the poor play on offense. Missed tackles have become a theme, and communication errors in the secondary have started to show up again, leading to giving up explosive plays in the passing game.
Attempting to identify a group that has played best is tough, but there is an easy answer. That award would go to the linebacker room on this version of the Browns to date.
They win the award by default simply because there isn’t as much to blame them for. It also helps that the group provides us with the biggest surprise on the team.
Led by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the unit has played fairly well. JOK is having a good start to the season and helped the Browns get two takeaways on defense in last week’s loss.
When healthy, Jordan Hicks has been an upgrade from what we’ve seen in the past in the middle. The most pleasant surprise on the roster may just be an undrafted free-agent rookie.
Winston Reid started the season on the practice squad but has become a weapon on kick coverage. He eventually earned a roster spot over Nathaniel Watson, who was a 6th-round draft pick.
Against Washington last week, Reid was the second-highest-graded defender on the team with an 89.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. He is quickly becoming the guy that opposing ballcarriers do not want to meet in the hole on Sundays.
In his media availability on Friday, linebacker coach Jason Tarver said of Reid: ‘When he hits you, you feel it.” Tarver deserves credit for having his group ready just as he has every season during his tenure on Stefanski’s staff.
The group will also get second-year linebacker Mahmoud Diabate back this week after being activated off of injured reserve. The stock is up on the position group overall, and they could be a fun group to watch develop over the season’s finish.
Now, let’s hear from you. Are there any other position groups that you think deserve the award? Are there any other players that you are looking forward to watching develop?
