Can the Browns Survive Losing Their Best Defensive Player in Tashaun Gipson?

It was what is usually a routine play for Cleveland Browns safety Tashaun Gipson—jump up and deflect the pass in the end zone. 

It was business as usual Sunday as Gipson leaped to defend an end-zone pass to Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. And then it wasn't.

Gipson collided, knee-first, with Browns cornerback Joe Haden on the play. He crumpled to the ground, in obvious pain. He couldn't make it off the field and needed the assistance of the cart to reach the locker room. It was clear immediately that Gipson had suffered a significant injury.

This was confirmed Monday by Browns head coach Mike Pettine (via the Akron Beacon Journal's Nate Ulrich), who said that Gipson had suffered injuries to his MCL and PCL, and that he may not return until the end of the regular season or the playoffs, if it comes to that, if it happens at all.

For what it's worth, however, the PCL is not a major concern, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan.

"

On #Browns S Tashaun Gipson's knee injury, PCL is not considered to be an issue, source said.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) November 25, 2014"

The MCL sprain is a Grade-3 variety, which means a total tear. However, Gipson should avoid surgery thanks to there being no damage to his ACL. Whether Gipson's injury heals on its own or with surgical intervention, the Browns will have to face their final five opponents—or more—without the help of their best defender.

How good has Gipson been? He's Pro Football Focus' (subscription required) fourth-ranked safety this season, but that alone doesn't tell the whole story. He's the league's interception leader, with six, one returned for a touchdown. He has 52 combined tackles, four tackles for a loss, eight passes defensed and a forced fumble.

Gipson has given up 12 catches on 20 targets, for a mere 141 yards, 55 yards after the catch and no touchdowns. Opposing quarterbacks throwing in his direction have a quarterback rating of 41.9. Including 2013, Gipson has snagged 11 interceptions on just 53 targets. He's picked off quarterbacks once per five targets in his direction, on average.

	Solo T.	Asst. T	Comb. T	TFL	Sacks	PD	INT	TD	FF	FR
2014	28	24	52	4	0.0	8	6	1	1	0
Total	117	63	180	7	0.0	20	12	2	1	0

This type of production cannot be replaced by Jim Leonhard, Jordan Poyer, or a combination of the two. The Browns can only hope the pair can fill in without a significant negative affect on their overall defense. 

Leonhard, who has played 150 snaps at safety this year to Poyer's three, figures to be the one to get the most playing time in Gipson's absence. The 10-year veteran has played for Pettine for six of those years, and his knowledge of the system and the trust Pettine has in him is what brought him to Cleveland in the first place.

Pettine, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, said of Leonhard on Monday, "[I]t's been big for us to have him throughout the year, just to give us that quality depth and a guy we know could step in and play on limited practice repetitions."

He also added, on Poyer, "[T]his is also a time we're very happy to have Jordan Poyer on the roster as well. We're confident when his number is called. He did get in for a few plays. His role will increase as we move forward without Gip. And we're obviously confident he'll do a good job for us."

John Grieshop/Getty Images

In 150 snaps, Leonhard has allowed three catches on five targets, for 37 yards, 10 yards after the catch and no touchdowns or interceptions. Poyer, meanwhile, hasn't had a pass targeted in his direction yet this year; last season, he allowed five catches on seven targets, for 39 yards, six yards after the catch, one touchdown and no interceptions.

What this really means, however, is that the rest of the Browns secondary must step up to cover for Gipson's absence. Pro Bowl cornerback Haden, fellow safety Donte Whitner, corners Buster Skrine and Justin Gilbert will all have to all play to their highest abilities. 

So far this season, Haden has given up two touchdowns and has two interceptions. Whitner has allowed one touchdown and has one interception. Gilbert has given up one touchdown. Skrine, the gambler, has allowed six touchdowns but is second on the team with four interceptions.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

This is a secondary that can weather the loss of Gipson. However, the defense as a whole might not handle it as well. Gipson's injury is just the latest that side of the ball has suffered in recent weeks.

Defensive end Phil Taylor's season is over with a knee injury. Linebacker Karlos Dansby is week-to-week with a knee sprain. Fellow linebacker Armonty Bryant is also done for the year with a knee injury. Defensive end John Hughes is on the injured reserve-recall list until Week 17. Linebacker Jabaal Sheard has a foot injury that he is playing through, but it renders him at less than 100 percent for the rest of the season.

The compounding of these injuries could therefore snowball into a real problem for the Browns. In their favor, however, is the fact that they face just one top-15 passing offense to close out the regular season—the Indianapolis Colts, ranked first, in Week 14.

Team	Pass YPG	Rank	Pass TD/G	Rank
@ BUF	225.5	20	1.5	15
vs. IND	323.1	1	2.6	3
vs. CIN	223.0	22	1.2	25
@ CAR	230.8	19	1.6	14
@ BAL	240.1	16	1.5	18

Further, the loss of Gipson does little to affect the Browns' biggest defensive weakness—stopping the run. The Browns are giving up a fourth-worst average 134.5 rushing yards per game. Though that improved to 63 yards against the Falcons, it wasn't Gipson who turned the defense around in that game.

Gipson ranks 30th out of 54 in Pro Football Focus' run-stopping percentage among safeties, with six stops—or losses for opposing offenses—on 305 rushing snaps played. He's not often in the box on run plays. Whatever issues the Browns had stopping the run existed while Gipson was playing at a high level in the secondary and is something they still need to address without him in the lineup.

The "next man up" mantra is often repeated in the NFL, where injuries are common, even to Pro Bowl or All-Pro caliber players like Gipson. It's something the Browns have had to deal with multiple times this season, ranging from their myriad defensive injuries, to center Alex Mack being lost for the year, to their 10 games without wideout Josh Gordon.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

That will again have to be the case with Gipson's injury. The Browns are at least confident that Leonhard's familiarity with the defense and Poyer's upside will be able to mitigate Gipson's absence enough that there won't be an apparent void when they take the field Sunday against the Buffalo Bills or against any of their remaining opponents.

It will be difficult, because safeties like Gipson are anything but a dime a dozen. But the Browns have lost Mack and kept on winning. They lost Taylor and won Sunday. They racked up six wins without Gordon, the league's best receiver in 2013. 

Football, after all, is a team sport. Everyone has to continue to do their part, just as they have all season. The Browns' season should not hinge on this injury to Gipson, just as it didn't with Mack's injury or Gordon's suspension. Gipson's injury is a blow to the Browns, but it should not doom the rest of their season nor their playoff hopes.