With the aggression of their attack-style front, the Browns’ defense has struggled to effectively fill gaps at times, according to head coach Todd Monken. The Browns will look for ways to counteract that tendency to overshoot gaps while still playing within their system.
“Part of it is that changing up with the looks, part of it is how we fit the gaps. The next is, okay, when it does break, we’ve got to get them on the ground,” Monken said. “There’s certain things that we’re going to have to do with our front, definitely with our fits, and then when it does break, our ability to tackle better and get them on the ground.”
Cleveland will be facing a New Orleans offense that has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry this year, though, the third fewest in the league. The Saints’ running backs have also struggled specifically on inside runs in their past three games, managing 144 yards on 47 attempts over that span, per NFL Next Gen Stats. To take advantage of the opportunity at hand, the Browns’ defense has emphasized improving against specific inside run concepts, including both trap and wham plays.