Jaguars vs. Browns: 5 Defensive Heroes in Cleveland's Narrow Win

The Cleveland Browns recorded their fourth win of the season yesterday, after surviving a nervy struggle against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Not surprisingly, the Browns defense led the way and ultimately sealed the win. A frantic goal-line stand as time expired culminated in middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson breaking up a fourth-down pass.

Jacksonville may not be able to boast one of the more prolific offenses in the league, but this was still a fine performance from Cleveland's emerging defense.

Here are five defensive players who proved to be heroes for the Browns in their tight victory.

5. D'Qwell Jackson

D'Qwell Jackson was in fine form at the heart of Cleveland's 4-3 scheme.

The middle linebacker was in on nine stops, recording seven solo tackles.

Jackson benefited from strong performances up front to lead the charge for a respectable showing from the Browns run defense.

He also made the play of the game, by forcing the fourth-down incompletion in the end zone that confirmed the Browns' dramatic victory.

The move to a 4-3 front seems to have liberated Jackson, and he appears to be close to regaining some of the fine form he displayed earlier in his career.

4. Ahtyba Rubin

He may not have registered eye-popping statistics, but Ahytba Rubin was a vital member of Cleveland's line rotation yesterday.

The 6'2" 330-pounder regularly proved too much to handle for the Jags' blocking schemes, and Jacksonville was often forced into double-teaming the rugged defensive tackle.

This created plenty of free lanes of pursuit for the linebackers and was the main reason that a slight improvement was noticeable in the run defense.

Rubin is enjoying a fine campaign.

His stellar performances have enabled the rookies along the defensive front to shine.

3. Phillip Taylor

Top rookie Phillip Taylor continued to impress with another disruptive display at the interior of the Browns' defensive front.

The ex-Baylor standout has played above expectations this year and is looking like a budding star at defensive tackle.

Taylor was credited with six solo stops against the Jags and consistently pushed blockers backwards and pressured the pocket.

Taylor's performances have proven the Browns were right to start him from day one.

Taylor has ensured the rotation has stayed strong, after this author mistakenly jumped the gun on the ill-fated Broderick Bunkley trade.

2. Joe Haden

Blanket-cover ace Joe Haden experienced some rocky moments against Jacksonville, but he came up big when it counted.

The rapidly emerging young corner was flagged for some costly penalties after some overly aggressive play.

But Haden's pass breakup in the end zone on 3rd-and-goal set up the game's decisive play.

Haden's physical skills are allowing for more flexibility in the Browns' coverage schemes.

Dick Jauron knows that he can absolutely trust Haden to handle single coverage in crunch situations.

1. Jabaal Sheard

Second-round draft choice Jabaal Sheard once again showcased his big-play capabilities by notching a crucial strip-sack of Jaguars rookie signal-caller Blaine Gabbert.

Sheard's forced fumble was the third of his rookie campaign.

The 6'2", 255-pound edge-rusher is now second on the team in sacks and is developing into a real threat.

A genuine speed rusher is something that the Browns defense has been lacking for years.

The former University of Pittsburgh star seems more than capable of fulfilling that role.

These five youngsters highlighted a determined and swarming defensive effort, which carried the struggling offense and propelled Cleveland to the victory.

The Browns defense is developing well. The decision to switch to the 4-3 is starting to pay off, thanks largely to the young and aggressive front four.

There are still issues against the run, and more speed throughout the unit as a whole would certainly be welcome.

But Cleveland's 4-3 defense has the potential to yield more victories this season. Next week's rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals provides another opportunity for the unit to deliver.