2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 5-12
Browns defense
Every snap the Browns defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good-0.09 EPA a play allowed, 5th of 32, and 0.10 below what the offenses they faced usually manage (6th).
- How they playThey blitz on 28% of dropbacks, the 17th-most in the league, and get pressure on 28%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.2 a carry, 17th, and runs outside left gain 5.6 a carry.
- Who hurt themAmon-Ra St. Brown (DET): 70 yards and +8.8 EPA on 7 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | -0.09 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | -0.11 | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.07 | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 40% | 4th of 32 | 89th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 9% | 13th of 32 | 61st | |
| Yards per play | 4.9 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.2 | 17th of 32 | 48th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 37% | 7th of 32 | 80th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 9.4% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 28% | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 18% | 2nd of 32 | 95th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.0% | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 58% | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 1.81 | 10th of 32 | 70th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.1 | 22nd of 32 | 34th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | -0.10 | 6th of 32 | 83rd |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Browns. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 13 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 7 against the Dolphins, 0.58 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.01 a play elsewhere, the 11th-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs CINL 16-17-0.11usual 0.00
at BALL 17-41+0.12usual +0.03
vs GBW 13-10-0.08usual +0.13
at DETL 10-34-0.13usual +0.09
vs MINL 17-21+0.04usual -0.13
at PITL 9-23+0.13usual +0.02
vs MIAW 31-6-0.56usual +0.02
at NEL 13-32+0.07usual +0.16
at NYJL 20-27-0.29usual -0.12vs BALL 16-23-0.09usual +0.04
at LVW 24-10-0.38usual -0.20
vs SFL 8-26+0.02usual +0.09
vs TENL 29-31-0.09usual -0.16
at CHIL 3-31+0.05usual +0.08
vs BUFL 20-23+0.06usual +0.14vs PITW 13-6-0.20usual +0.04at CINW 20-18-0.10usual 0.00Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep middle: +1.11 EPA a throw against a league +0.73. The lockdown zone is behind the line middle, -1.17 a throw (league -0.34). Completions against them run 0.5 points over expected, 15th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.2 yards a carry against them, 17th of 32. The leak is outside left: 5.6 a carry and +0.10 EPA (league 5.0, +0.01).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 14.83rd | 109.91st | +0.138th-toughest | 18.011th-fewest22.411th-fewest26.98th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 7.114th | 52.216th | +0.118th-toughest | 7.112th-fewest9.611th-fewest12.111th-fewest |
| Backs, receiving | 5.411th | 27.48th | -0.166th-toughest | 18.612th-most20.714th-most22.814th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 13.35th-fewest13.35th-fewest13.35th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | 7 | 70 | 2 | +8.8 |
| Justin Jefferson | MIN | 11 | 123 | +8.6 | |
| Darnell Washington | PIT | 7 | 77 | +8.1 | |
| Zay Flowers | BAL | 18 | 162 | +7.8 | |
| Devontez Walker | BAL | 2 | 26 | 2 | +7.2 |
| James Cook | BUF | 18 | 134 | 2 | +6.9 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-4-to-6: offenses convert 38% against a league 44%. They are stingiest in games they lead (-0.17 a play, league -0.01) and weakest in the red zone (-0.01, league 0.00).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 423 | -0.11 | +0.01 | -0.13 |
| 2nd down | 328 | 0.00 | +0.02 | -0.02 |
| 3rd down | 223 | -0.13 | -0.05 | -0.08 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 63 | 65% | 60% | +5 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 47 | 38% | 44% | −5 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 113 | 21% | 26% | −5 pts |
| Red zone | 141 | -0.01 | 0.00 | -0.01 |
| Two-minute drill | 111 | -0.02 | +0.03 | -0.05 |
| When they lead | 376 | -0.17 | -0.01 | -0.17 |
| One-score game | 694 | -0.06 | +0.02 | -0.08 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 175 | -0.04 | +0.04 | -0.08 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 28% of dropbacks and average 4.4 rushers; 72% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.06 EPA when they blitz and -0.13 when they do not.
They put 6.8 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 18%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.0 a carry; into eight or more, 5.9.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 7 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.06 EPA against them on 22% of throws; screens -0.10.
38 defensive penalties for 322 yards, 22 of them first downs, the 5th-fewest. They miss 9% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 18th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Myles Garrett leads the pass rush with 53 pressures and 23 sacks on 82% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95Myles GarrettDE | 82% | 53 | 23 | 39 | 33 | 57 | 3 |
| 94Mason GrahamDT | 73% | 7 | 0.5 | 4 | 7 | 47 | |
| 93Shelby HarrisDE | 48% | 7 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 29 | |
| 91Alex WrightDE | 45% | 14 | 5.5 | 9 | 12 | 34 | 1 |
| 96Maliek CollinsDT | 45% | 15 | 6.5 | 13 | 7 | 24 | |
| 57Isaiah McGuireDE | 40% | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 1 |
| 99Cameron ThomasDE | 29% | 11 | 2.5 | 7 | 1 | 28 | |
| 17Jerome BakerOLB | 26% | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 39 | 2 |
| 51Mike Hall Jr.DT | 16% | 5 | 1.5 | 4 | 2 | 11 | |
| 98Adin HuntingtonDE | 15% | 2 | 0.5 | 1 | 15 |
Carson Schwesinger plays 91% of the snaps with 147 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49Carson SchwesingerLB | 91% | 147 | 11 | 2.5 | 9 | 49 | 88.3 | 10 |
| 30Devin BushLB | 83% | 123 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 44 | 73.6 | 9 |
| 43Mohamoud DiabateLB | 28% | 49 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 101.4 | 6 | |
| 42Easton Mascarenas-ArnoldLB | 1% | 9 |
Rayshawn Jenkins is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 74.6 passer rating on 15 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33Ronnie Hickman Jr.SAF | 98% | 48 | 30 of 48 | 403 | 1 | 80.4 | 2 | 7 |
| 9Grant DelpitSAF | 96% | 57 | 38 of 57 | 421 | 2 | 84.1 | 1 | 4 |
| 21Denzel WardCB | 73% | 62 | 38 of 62 | 380 | 3 | 85.0 | 1 | 9 |
| 7Tyson CampbellCB | 60% | 55 | 30 of 55 | 352 | 3 | 87.9 | 1 | 12 |
| 26Myles HardenCB | 49% | 56 | 41 of 56 | 365 | 5 | 101.4 | 4 | |
| 6Greg Newsome IICB | 28% | 30 | 19 of 30 | 234 | 85.4 | 3 | ||
| 5Rayshawn JenkinsDB | 26% | 15 | 10 of 15 | 123 | 74.6 | 1 | 1 | |
| 27Sam WebbCB | 13% | 14 | 9 of 14 | 77 | 2 | 102.5 | 1 | |
| 37Dom JonesCB | 5% | 7 | 5 of 7 | 59 | 2 | 100.0 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.