BEREA, Ohio — Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz compared tackling Bills quarterback Josh Allen to taking down Ravens bruising running back Derrick Henry, who’s fifth in the NFL with 1,125 yards this season.

He also likened Allen, the reigning NFL MVP, to late NFL quarterback Steve McNair, the 2003 NFL MVP.

“Steve was a little bit shorter, but he reminds me of Steve McNair, sort of circa 2002, 2003,” Schwartz said Thursday. “Steve, early on, a lot like Josh, was more of a threat with his legs than he was in the passing game. And then as he developed that threat in the passing game and control and everything else, the legs never left. And Steve ran like a fullback; Josh Allen runs like a fullback. You know, there’s no trying to grab grass and get away from stuff, he’s trying to score, he’s trying to run people over. But he’s bigger than Steve was.”

Schwartz has prepared his players for just how difficult it will be to tackle Allen, who leads the team with 12 rushing touchdowns, and is second to running back James Cook with 535 yards. He’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry for fifth in the NFL.

“To our players, he starts scrambling, it’s a lot like trying to tackle Derrick Henry – because there’s not a whole lot of difference in the size of those two guys (Henry is 6-2, 252, Allen is 6-5, 237),” Schwartz said. “Great quarterback. He’s developed every year; he’s MVP for a reason. We’ve got our work cut out for us, not just in the passing game, but also the way he uses his legs to scramble to buy time to create in the passing game, but also to run for yardage.”

Schwartz, who’s run defense has slipped to 14th in the NFL with 184 yards by the Titans and 142 by the Bears last week, has put his defense on notice to stop Allen and Cook from running all over them. Cook is second in the NFL with 1,415 yards, and the Bills are No. 2 in rushing with 158.5 per game.

“We have to control the game by stopping the run,” Schwartz said. “And we didn’t do that against the Titans, mainly because we gave up two impact runs. Both of them were touchdowns, one, whatever, 65 yards, the other one, (32) or whatever it was. And then this last week, it was the same thing. We didn’t tackle very well in the Chicago game, particularly out on the perimeter and we paid the price for it.

“So, when it’s all said and done, defenses are judged by your ability to tackle, your ability to stop drives, and a big part of that is stopping the run. So great challenge this week with Buffalo, they’re the best run offense in the NFL. So if we don’t get it corrected, we won’t stand a chance in this game.”

Myles Garrett setting the sack record depends on stopping the run

Schwartz emphasized that it will be tough for Myles Garrett to get his 1.5 sacks to break the NFL single-season record of 22.5 if they can’t stop the run.

“If Buffalo comes out and runs it 60 times, you’re not going to get any sacks,” Schwartz said. “If he gets a lot of opportunities, his success rate is pretty high and, we’re a pretty good pass-rush team, so I like those odds, but it all ties back. And that’s the message we have, is we’ve got to force teams to drop back and throw and don’t let them control the game with the run game.”

Of course, part of that will depend on not falling behind in the game like they did in Chicago.

Grant Delpit on the emotional toll of losing

Delpit, who’s all about winning, was asked if the losing is taking an emotional toll on him like it did Joe Thomas during his later years here. It got so bad for Thomas that he sought professional help to cope.

“It hurts,” Delpit said. “Everybody wants to win. It’s obvious. And when it’s not working, it’s not fun to say the least. Especially because we devote our life to this. I feel like it’s more than the game. It’s my life at the end of the day. So I think that, again, it just goes back to plays you wish you had back, and this, that and the third. But you’ve just got to do everything you can do to realize that it’s not a lost season. You know, all this is going to make the glory better in the end. So keep that mentality, move on to next week.”

He described just how important winning is to him.

“Everything I do is to win,” he said. “Everything. I know I wake up in the morning, I’m trying to win the day. I’m trying. I do everything I can to win on Sunday with every breakfast, to dinner. When you’re not winning, of course it’s frustrating and it really gives you a good picture at the magnitude of the game you’re playing. It’s like you can try to do everything you can, it’s not working, but what are you gonna do about it? Are you going to just lay down and really fold? It’s just not like what I am. I don’t think that we have those type of players in our locker room that’s just going to lay down and quit. It’s been like this last year as well. So at the end of the day, you’re playing the bad guy, but it is what it is because I’ve got to eat too.”

Like last year, Delpit has challenged his teammates to show who they are by how hard they play in these final games, with no playoffs at stake.

David Njoku and Denzel Ward among six missing practice again

Tight end David Njoku (knee) and cornerback Denzel Ward (calf) were among six players who didn’t practice again on Thursday.

The others were Mike Hall Jr. (illness), Jack Conklin (concussion), Dylan Sampson (hand) and Winston Reid (back).

Ward sounded hopeful he’ll play.

Two guards return

Guard Teven Jenkins (shoulder) and Joel Bitonio (knee) returned to practice on Thursday after sitting out Wednesday. Garrett also returned after a day of rest.

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