The numbers are what they are
Authentic Myles Garrett Jersey , so no data-minded analytical organization is going to tell you the Cleveland Browns are going to field a dominant pass rushing defense in 2018.That’s why Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuiness has the Browns ranked all the way near the bottom, coming in at No. 28, heading into the season. McGuiness doesn’t see much room for improvement for a unit that will essentially be the same group—plus rookie Chad Thomas, and added experience for everyone else—that struggled to generate pressure without added help from additional blitzers last season.In case you forgot, the Browns blitzed a ton last season, especially on third-down passing plays.So it’s not surprising the majority of their sacks came from blitzing than from not sending any additional pressure. What about in general? Well, they blitzed a lot pretty much always, really, sending five or more pass rushers on 44.1 percent of defensive plays. That was tied with Carolina for the most in the NFL, with the New Orleans Saints coming in at a distant third with 38 percent.Despite those numbers, the Browns’ pass rush finished the 2017 season with just the 30th-best pressure percentage in the NFL, coming in at only 29.5 percent.That is, well, something to say the least. Even with the added bonus of having additional pass rushers, the Browns just are not getting to the quarterback in Greg Williams’ scheme. And PFF and others have measured the numbers
Jarvis Landry Jersey Elite , so there’s no real debating that.However, there is just one small factor that the analytical powerhouse is overlooking: there are 11 players on defense, not seven.As ESPN’s Louis Riddick so eloquently surmised, a pass rush cannot and will not be effective without the support of all 11 players. And if you watched the Browns last season at all, you know their secondary was a porous dumpster fire for the better part of the year.Here’s a look at a Matt Stafford touchdown last season, a play where the Browns sent heavy pressure—6 rushers—and left their defensive backs in Cover 1, with four defenders in man coverage underneath and one free safety playing the middle top zone.
