Source: Jason Miller / Getty
On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts will be taking on the best defense in the NFL history through five weeks.
The Cleveland Browns defense ranks top five in several statistical categories:
- Points Per Game – 15.4 (5th)
- Points Allowed – 77 (1st)
- Yards Per Game – 200.4 (1st)
- Total Yards Allowed – 1002 (1st) – 563 yards fewer than Baltimore
- Rush Yards Per Game – 79.0 (4th)
- Pass Yards Per Game – 121.4 (1st)
- Total Pass Yards Allowed – 607 (1st) – 372 fewer than Green Bay
- 3rd Down Percentage – 23.1% (1st) – 8% better than Atlanta
Prior to last week, the Browns defense wasn’t test really. Entering week six, Cleveland faced Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Baltimore, and Cincinnati. Last week they contained the explosive San Francisco 49ers offense.
- Points Allowed – 17
- Total Yards Allowed – 215
- Pass Yards Allowed – 107
- Rush Yards Allowed – 108
- 3rd Down Conversions – 3/12
Myles Garrett receives a lot of the attention when it comes to Cleveland’s defense, but they have some studs at every level.
- Linebacker’s Anthony Walker Jr. (Former Colts linebacker) and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Former Notre Dame linebacker)
- Cornerback’s Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr., and Greg Newsome II
- Safety’s Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, and Rodney McLeod (former Colts safety)
ESPN.com’s Cleveland Browns reporter Jake Trotter joined Query & Company Thursday afternoon with Brian Noe and Jimmy Cook to share his opinion on whether the Browns thought their defense would be playing at such an elite level.
“No, I don’t think there’s any doubt that they’re better than they thought they would be. They felt like the potential was there to be a really good defense. We’re talking about a historically elite defense through five games. I don’t think anybody saw that coming. They’ve shut down basically every offense they’ve played besides Lamar Jackson.”
Trotter also discussed the following topics with Brian and Jimmy:
- The timeline of events with Deshaun Watson’s shoulder injury
- Jacoby Brissett’s advice for P.J. Walker
- How the run game has performed without Nick Chubb
To listen to Brian Noe and Jimmy Cook’s conversation with Jake Trotter, download the podcast containing the conversation below! You can always listen to the Query & Company from 12pm-3pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan. You can also watch and interact with the show by going to the 107.5 The Fan YouTube Channel.
