A year after defensive coordinator Steve Wilks had the Cleveland Browns fifth in blitz percentage at 38.2% and two years after Gregg Williams had the Browns fourth in the league in blitz percentage at 34%, the 2020 Browns were the third-lowest blitzers at 21.3%.
The numbers are interesting as Williams and Wilks were known to be aggressive despite different coverage styles preferred. The only real consistency over the past few years in the NFL is that the Baltimore Ravens have led the league in three straight seasons topping out in 2019 with a 54.9% blitz rate.
In 2020, the Browns played a very safe form of defense. They didn’t rush the passer much outside of Myles Garrett and the occasional splash from Olivier Vernon while also playing soft zone coverage on the backend. Quarterbacks often had easy options for completions and made it difficult for the Browns four primary rushers to ever get home.
With the addition of John Johnson III, Troy Hill, Greg Newsome II, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and Anthony Walker, as well as the return from injury for Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit, the Browns hope to have made huge strides in their coverage. The team has also invested in pass-rushing defensive lineman with free agents Takk McKinley, Jadeveon Clowney, and Malik Jackson, as well as the return from injury for Curtis Weaver.
It is likely that the improved coverage ability will allow defensive coordinator Joe Woods to be more aggressive in 2021. Sending more than four defenders after the quarterback (the base definition of a blitz for percentage purposes) could lead to bigger plays for the defense while the improved coverage should keep the opposing offense from cashing in on having one or two players rushing the passer instead of in coverage.
Coverage and pressure work together on the defensive side of the ball. If a team cannot cover, a pass rush has little chance to get home. If a team can’t get pressure, coverage can only last so long.
The Browns hope they have addressed both this offseason and that they can keep teams off balance with pressure coming from a variety of blitzers while having various coverage looks behind it. Being unpredictable, on both sides of the ball, is one key to victory.
The Browns were highly predictable in 2020, bringing four or fewer rushers almost 80% of the time.