Cleveland Browns: Five Defensive Holes Exposed by the New York Jets in Week 10
Following what can best be described as a heartbreaking loss to the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon, the Browns defensive unit has left opponents with a blueprint of how to be effective against them.
The Browns defense struggled more than the scoreboard displayed as they were helped by the misfortunes of Jets kicker Nick Folk (three missed field goals).
Here are five things that fans and opposing teams learned about the Cleveland Browns defense from their Week 10 matchup against the Jets.
No. 5: Cleveland Needs a Better Pass Rusher
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Mark Sanchez displayed how easy it is to pick apart the Browns defense when Cleveland fails to maintain a successful pass rush.
Sanchez threw for 299 yards and was only sacked twice.
The two sacks recorded by the Browns came from safety Mike Adams and defensive lineman Marcus Benard, who was hospitalized earlier in the week after collapsing during at the Browns' facility.
The Browns struggled to produce any type of rush even on obvious passing down as New York converted on 11 of 21 third-down conversions.
No. 4: Eric Wright Does Not Deserve To Be a Starting Cornerback
2 of 6Eric Wright has been playing poorly all season long and it finally came to a head against the Jets in overtime.
The cornerback has continually been burned by the better receivers in the league and was even demoted to covering tight ends throughout most of the second half against the New England Patriots last week.
In the video of the overtime catch by Santonio Holmes, Wright not only gets burned badly in coverage but very visibly gives up on making the tackle and lets Holmes escape to the end zone.
Cleveland needs to acquire a better option at the corner position than Wright because this has been the case time and time again this season.
Wright has displayed flashes of brilliance in the past but is not performing well enough to be a starter at this point.
No. 3: The Browns Defense Revolves Around Scott Fujita
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Scott Fujita was one of the best acquisitions by the Browns in this previous offseason and it was widely unseen until the game against the Jets.
The linebacker went down with an injury early in the game and the Browns never got the chance to recover as they struggled to maintain every part of the Jets offense in his absence.
Cleveland surrendered 299 passing yards and 172 net rushing yards. Those totals are far worse than any other the Browns had allowed in any game that Fujita has been in the lineup.
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No.2: Shaun Rogers Is a Waste Of Time and Money
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For yet another week, Shaun Rogers was a non-factor in the Browns defense and completely fallen off the radar as far as opposing offenses are concerned.
The nose tackle has been listed on the Browns injury report every single week this season as questionable.
In nine games this season, Rogers has a total of seven tackles.
It is also worth noting that Rogers is the highest-paid player on the Browns defense, making $7.67 million per year in a 2008 contract that is worth six years and $42 million.
Rogers has continually failed to deliver since signing his big deal with the Browns and many feel that it is time to cut ties with the 6'4", 350-pound lineman.
With Rogers failing to be removed from the injury list every single week, it brings into question his overall health and why he is being rushed back to the field.
Cleveland needs to take the time to let Rogers sit for a few weeks and get healthy or just release him because he is proving to be worthless playing less than 100 percent.
No. 1: When Cleveland's Defense Fails to Capitalize, The Browns Lose
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The Browns only forced one turnover against the Jets and missed many opportunities to get off the field as New York sustained long drives seemingly all game long.
One of the keys in the Browns' victories in previous weeks was the defense's ability to capitalize on opponents' mistakes, and that simply did not happen against the Jets.
Sanchez and the Jets were able to convert on 11 different third-down attempts and also were one-for-one on fourth down.
Cleveland's defense had opportunities to turn the tide of the game but seemed to fail time after time.
The Browns' Abe Elam dropped a sure interception in the Browns end zone late in the game.
Third downs and dropped interceptions were the two biggest flaws in the Browns' execution but Cleveland struggled in every defensive category overall.
The Jets manged 456 yards of total offense and controlled the clock for 47 minutes.
Where To Next?
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The Browns take on Jacksonville, Carolina and Miami the next three weeks, and the defense must improve if the Browns hope to pull back to a .500 record.
If Cleveland can manage to get its defensive unit healthy and find a way to become more effective defending on third down, there is no reason why the Browns cannot contend and win any game throughout the remainder of the season.
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