How The Browns 'Solved' The 49ers Offense
In Week 6, the Browns utilized a combination of Cover 1 and well-timed five-man pressures to lay the groundwork for the Chiefs' game plan in the Super Bowl against the 49ers.
The last time Jim Schwartz called a defense before this season was with the Eagles in 2020, when they went 4-11-1. After the Covid-riddled season, Philadelphia would move on from the staff. From there, Schwartz would work alongside Mike Vrabel (now a consultant for the Browns) and current Giants Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen as the Titans’ Senior Defensive Assistant.
This past offseason, looking for a change on defense, Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski decided to move on from Joe Woods, the current Saints DC. One of the main reasons behind the move was the inconsistent play from a talented secondary and the lack of run defense. Fast-forward to the conclusion of this season, and the Browns sit second overall in Defensive DVOA, second in Pass DVOA, and fourth in Run DVOA (FTN). Under Schwartz, the defense played fast and aggressive.
Schwartz, who had spent time in the split-field simulated pressure-heavy scheme in Tennesse, cryptically laid out his plan for ‘23 during his introductory press conference during the preseason:
“It is hard to win in coverage…. If you can rush with four, it allows your blitz game to be so much more effective because you start blitzing on your terms…”
Cleveland ran Cover 3 almost exclusively in the preseason and then played the most Cover 1 in the NFL once the season began. When Schwartz arrived in Cleveland, the secondary was already talented; it needed to be more consistent. In the offseason, the Browns beefed up their personnel up front to play alongside All-Pro DE Miles Garrett.
During the ‘23 offseason, the Browns made significant changes to their defensive line, including the addition of two Vikings, namely DE Za'Darious Smith (via trade) and iDL Dalvin Tomlinson. Additionally, former Bronco and Seahawk iDL Shelby Harris was added for depth inside. All three would join Garrett to round out the starting D-line.
Schwartz’s defensive philosophy stems from a four-down middle-of-the-field closed (MOFC) base. Last season, the Browns ran MOFC coverages on 72.4% of their snaps, and only the Cowboys (~71%) were above the 70% mark in usage. Even in Cover 3, Cleveland led the NFL at 33.4%, with only the Saints (~33%) and Cowboys (~30%) above the 30% mark.
They also had the fifth lowest MOF Disguise rates in the NFL (18.4%/PFF). What offenses saw pre-snap was what they were going to get post-snap. In his first press conference, Schwartz was trying to tell us that the Browns would be simple in coverage and lean into their dominant defensive line.
The chart above illustrates that the Browns wanted to play within the MOFC realm, leaning heavily into Cover 1. The use of MOFC coverages and eight-man spacing allowed the Browns LBs to fit gaps and suffocate the run quickly. As for the defensive line, they were turned loose and allowed to play a penetrating style that kept the second level clean.
This aggressive front style is all in the plan to be able to play the pass while defending the run. In a 2016 offseason interview in Philadelphia, Schwartz famously remarked:
“…we want to put those guys in position to be able to rush [the] passer and play the run on the way to the quarterback…”
The caveat here is that he also stated the LBs and Safeties have to be tied into the run fits to create a layering effect on the box. Though the concept looks simple on the outside, and the players are allowed to play fast, each level needs to understand where they are required to operate and relate to each other once the ball is in play. Defense, at its root, is all about leverage.
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