The Cleveland Browns were looking for a defensive renaissance and seemed to get on the right track to finding one in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After the total disaster of their previous matchup, the defense looked absolutely dominant against their talented opponent, allowing just 17 points.
Superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett told reporters after the game that the team’s success was a product of the way the defense seems to tighten up in the last two quarters, and an emphasis on fundamentals.
“We have seen that a lot where we really come out of the second half or halftime and really shut guys down,” Garrett explained. “It was just about doing it in the fourth quarter for that second half. I think that is where we took the next step tonight where we really were on our P’s and Q’s and made sure that we did not give any leaky gains or big plays. Everybody was communicating, and there were no mistakes on the front or on the back end. We were really able to hang with the guys and get the ball back to the offense so they can put points on the board.”
Each week will present a new challenge for this young Browns defense, but few will prove as daunting as the one they put behind them on Thursday. The embarrassment suffered after their loss to the New York Jets is comfortably behind them after taking their first lead in the AFC North, and momentum is building ahead of the middle stretch of their schedule.
Garrett’s comments to the media are a far cry from the obvious frustration players expressed after the Week 2 defeat, and surely he isn’t alone in feeling like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. More performances like the one they turned in against Pittsburgh might punch Cleveland’s ticket to the playoffs in January, so Garrett and his teammates are likely to take notes about what worked this week, and apply it to every matchup they face moving forward.
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