Fansided · 5 days ago
Browns defense is one glaring first-quarter problem away from being elite
For as long as football has been played, coaches have yearned for a fast start on offense. The obsession with wanting to be the team that lands the first punch is palpable, and most coaches openly speak about it. On defense, the same concept applies.
After a week of preparation, defenses should theoretically have the advantage, at least early on. NFL offenses change from week to week, to be sure, but not nearly at the magnitude that defenses do. A chess piece — like safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, for example — might play nearly every snap one week and be relegated to a reserve role the next week as the coaches opt for heavier personnel.
