The Cleveland Browns were completely overwhelmed in their 2026-27 NFL regular-season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday.
On offense, veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson failed to consistently move the ball upfield for a majority of the contest. To make matters worse, head coach Todd Monken and the Browns could not establish themselves on the ground, as the offense tallied 87 rushing yards on 22 carries.
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However, the most surprising takeaway from the Browns’ season debut was the defensive struggles against quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the Jaguars’ offense. The defense allowed 360 total offensive yards, while Lawrence accounted for 245 through the air and four touchdowns.
One of the key reasons for the lack of success on defense could have been the newest scheme from defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg. According to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, the Browns had blitzed Lawrence a total of three times on 21 dropbacks, which could have played a significant role in the Jaguars‘ massive offensive performance.
Despite losing star EDGE Myles Garrett, the Browns defense retained most of last season’s playmakers. But Rutenberg’s defensive scheme may have contributed to the slow start.
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Throughout his time in Cleveland, former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was known for his heavy usage of man coverage, with the team playing 50 percent of the defensive snaps in zone coverage. On Sunday, however, the Browns played a total of 67 percent of their snaps in zone coverage, according to ESPN Research.
Still, the lack of man coverage should not be the main reason for the struggles on Sunday, as there are plenty of ways the defense could have used extra blitzers in zone coverage.
Last year, Rutenberg spent a season under the likes of Atlanta Falcons‘ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who had the second-highest blitz rate at 33.9 percent, per Sharp Football Analysis. The lack of blitzes throughout the course of Sunday’s contest was a surprise to many, given Rutenberg’s background.
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While the Browns’ defensive playmakers knew the defensive scheme would change this year, Rutenberg must find creative ways to pressure the quarterback in Week Two against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last week, the Cincinnati Bengals defense put plenty of pressure on quarterback Baker Mayfield, which led to a handful of mistakes.
For the Browns to win this week, the defense must step up on Sunday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns need to find their pass rush in Week 2 against Baker Mayfield
