DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Lack of Big Plays on Defense

We are one of only four NFL teams without a TD on special teams or defense. The others are MIA, CAR, and JAX.

We are one of ten teams without a pick-6 and one of just seven teams without any kind of defensive TD.

There are six teams (NO, CAR, STL, IND, MIA, PIT) with fewer takeaways than us.

Despite our strong start, we are now tied for 21st in sacks.

What suggestions do you guys have to generate big plays on defense? I definitely think we need to get an athletic WOLB keeping Gocong on the strong side. We need to be able to pressure the QB better to make bad decisions throwing the ball. We also need to cover TEs better and RBs out of the backfield, and I think adding someone the defense has to keep track of at that spot will help all of those things a bunch.

I'd say that the thread is a misnomer.

We've had TONS of big plays on defense... it's one of the few things we've done well. We just haven't had any Scoring Defense.

What do you do to generate more plays, though? Gamble and hope you don't get burned.... but you need loads of talent and athleticism to do it regularly.

We need to upgrade our OLB's and we need at least one more DE that can play the run AND rush the passer (do we even have any of these?).

Two things: 1. Stop the run. and 2. Play with a lead.

Seriously most big plays on defense come out of the passing game, pick 6s, sack fumbles, etc.. If you can't stop the run and force teams to throw the ball in obvious throwing situations it's difficult to generate big plays...

Secondly if you aren't playing with a lead and forcing teams to take risks to come back, it's also very hard to generate those big plays...

I don't think it's anything our defense is necessarily doing wrong, it's just that we aren't usually in a position to force other teams to make the mistakes that lead to big plays.

we have gone to the opposite extreme from Rob Ryan. under Ryan, we were a gamble by the blitz and usually die by the blitz. we generated more TOs that way (but somehow less sacks?).

we now rely on more basic schemes and do not send the extra man on the blitz nearly as often. so, we haven't gotten that big defensive TD, but we are stopping offenses at a better clip on yards/play and 3rd down %.

hopefully, we are able to add another DE-pass rusher and that allows us to generate the pass rush while not blitzing. it's the reason so many of us wanted Edwards in the offseason (who went to atlanta).

as to how to generate bigger plays on STs; well, we could do 2 things.
1. Get Cribbs off PR - he was never a great punt returner, and I'd like to give one of our pure line speed guys like perhaps Skrine a shot back there to see what happens.

2. Get Cribbs off KR - he is still a very good KR. so much so that teams would rather pop up the kickoff and give us the ball at the 25-30 than give him a shot to return (if their kicker can't kick it out of the endzone). maybe give him a couple game break and put Little back there in his place.

Obviously there was a change in scheme but also in personnel.. This year our 3 leading sackers are Phil Taylor, Rubin and Sheard ... all DL... (Sheard is tied with DQ at 2.5)

Last year our 3 leading sackers were Benard, Roth and Fujita... all LBers ....

Rubin and Rogers each had 2 all year last year, Taylor has 4, Rubin has 3 and Sheard has 2.5 through 9 games this year

yes, I agree.

What causes big plays? I think generally its pressure on the offense / QB. Either get pressure on the QB to force a play or put pressure on the team's offense by getting a lead. We don't do either of those consistently.

Who causes big plays? In our defense, that's likely to be the ends and the safeties. Our ends are young, Ward is developing at the SS, and Adams is solid but likely keeping the seat warm for a future play-making FS.

As far as the drop-off goes, youth drops off as the season progresses early in their careers - the dreaded 'rookie wall'. Whether that's their bodies breaking down or opposing team having film or whatever. Either way, they should be hitting it about now and should only continue to do worse as the season progresses. I suppose there are always exceptions, but it is what it is, I guess...

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Play with a lead.

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Bingo.


Nothing helps a D make a big play more than having a team trying to make up ground.

As it is we get behind and teams can go in to a conservative, clock consuming offense, which is usually a low risk O.

We also rarely pin teams deep requiring their punter to look for distance which usually means less hang time.

As it is teams punt from near mid field and can hang the ball high allowing their coverage unit to make the play.

Make them punt from their 20 and Cribbs will get more kicks with a legit shot at returning.

Too true. A team playing from behind has to take chances it wouldn't normally take.

To show you how stats can be misleading at times....look at the Packers defensive ranking and the Browns.....
I think based on yardage per game..the Browns are 6th and the Packers are 27th or around there.
But they are giving up the average points per game.
but who's defense would you say is better right now?
one thing about having a offense that can rack up points,that puts pressure on the other offense to stay kept up and like someone stated,now you dictate to how that offense is going to come out and respond.
they eventually if they find themselves down by 2 TDS....the defense can gamble,bring heat cause turnovers...big plays on defense,,,
for a team that is struggling to get points on offense,their special teams isn't helping and the defense isn't exactly causing turnovers and making TDS..

GB's defense has played terribly at times this season. They started the year by giving up 400+yds in the air to both Brees and Cam (and Philip Rivers barely missed the 400yd mark at 385). Adrian Peterson ran for 175yds on them.

Yes, they have a ton of talent. But, they have a few things working against them.

#1 - their offense scores and scores quickly putting alot of pressure on their defense because they have to get back onto the field.

#2 - teams facing the Packers usually are taking more chances than they normally would to try to beat them. I would say this is the absolute wrong way to beat them but it is definitely happening (you beat a team like GB by forcing them OUT of their style of play, not playing along).

#3 - Dom Capers likes to take chances. This will result in days like vs. Carolina where Woodson gets 2 INTs, but also gives up a few big plays too.

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I also agree that yards/game is a terrible indicator for a defense. I prefer yards/play and then factor in pts/game as well to indicate the TO factor.

yards/play CLE 5.0 (#7) GB 6.1 (#28)
pts/game CLE 20.3 (#11) GB 20.7 (#13)

you can see from the above that our styles are vastly different. we are conservative and try to limit on each play, whereas GB is aggressive and is willing to give up some big plays because they expect to get some big plays as well (and know if they don't their offense can make it up).

also, to be completely fair, we would have to have a statistical tool that would factor out opponent strength. I believe this would make us more middle of the road in yards/play and further down on pts/game, but I do not know of a site that does this analysis for these measures.

try profootballfocus

awesome website

Just clicking.

The key to developing a good scoring defense- in either 43/34 scheme- is being able to get pressure with FOUR. The 3-4 with its different looks and blitzes can compensate some with the lack of elite pass rushers, but the there's susceptibility to the big play with that. Our linebackers aren't most important to generating the turnovers and getting us off the field. It's in the front four and secondary. We need more opportunistic speedsters in the secondary and steady pass rush in our front four.

Consistent pressure on the QB....how do we get it? Good question, like the offensive side of ball, we'be been trying to figure it out for 11 years

Just clicking

this thread is now Moot

But Tom Terrific said Mitchell was our best Pass rusher ~

Yeah, he was so good the Browns benched him in favor of Emanuel Stephens, a waiver-wire pickup in mid-season.

Ugh.

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Yes, he has 4 sacks, but he's got some learning to do because some of his sacks have been gifts.

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Which of his 4 sacks were gifts?

8 yards in backfield strip/sack at SF
1 yard sack v OAK (don't remember this one, have to look at this again)
3 yard loss on 3rd and goal from the 5 v MIA (excellent play... maintained his spy responsibility and shed the blocker perfectly when Henne tried to run it in)
7 yards deep in STL backfield

Wait... Jayme Mitchell was benched?

And who the hell is Emanuel Stephens and when did he join the team?!!?

It's better if I just post this:

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Browns DE Jayme Mitchell Benched In Favor Of Emmanuel Stephens

Nov 20 11:15a by Dan Kadar

The Browns will start Emmanuel Stephens at right defensive end in place of Jayme Mitchell, who started the first nine games of the season.

The decision was made by the coaches and not because Mitchell is injured. The Browns claimed Stephens off waivers in September after he was cut by the Atlanta Falcons.

After registering a sack and a half against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, Mitchell has struggled. Stephens has played well the past two weeks, finishing with four tackles in each game.

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Mitchell is okay.. but I'd prefer Vinny Curry. lol..