Browns gave up 407 points this year; offense & special teams responsible for a chunk
Almost a quarter of Cleveland’s points given up were not directly related to the defense
Against the Houston Texans, the Cleveland Browns defense looked nothing like the best in the NFL. The 45-14 result was not solely the fault of the defense as QB Joe Flacco threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.
For most of the season, it felt like the Browns defense was put in a hard place by the offense turning the ball over and, less frequently, special teams issues.
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Cleveland led the league by giving up just 4,593 yards this year with the Kansas City Chiefs next with 4,926. They were tied for the least yards per play given up as well. Despite both of those stats, the Browns gave up 362 points, middle of the pack for the league.
Adding the 45 points given up during Wild Card weekend, Cleveland gave up 407 yards but almost 25% of those were not primarily due to the defense failing:
The numbers are just ridiculous. 60 points were given up as return touchdowns and 38 more points were given up due to opponents starting their drive already in the redzone.
The Browns offense and special teams have failed to play complimentary football with their defense. Cleveland’s defense can be better next year, especially with adjustments from Jim Schwartz but they also need a little help from their friends.
