Battered Browns Secondary Presents Titans an Opportunity
Sunday’s game between the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns is a matchup of the NFL’s top two rushing attacks. But it might be the Titans’ ability to throw the ball that makes the difference.
Cleveland placed safety Ronnie Harrison Jr., a starter in six of the previous seven games, on its injured reserve list early last week with a shoulder issue and ruled out cornerback Denzel Ward on Friday because of a calf issue. Ward will miss his second straight contest. Greedy Williams, another cornerback who started 12 games in 2019 as a rookie, has not played all season.
Harrison’s injury, therefore, is the latest blow to a secondary that has not been at full strength all season. The third-year veteran has 32 tackles, one interception and one touchdown through his 10 games played
this season.
“First and foremost, the thing that Ronnie brought to the team was he just truly loves to play the game,” Browns defensive coordinator Joe Wood said. “He had that type of energy and a lot of guys fed off of that. On the football field, just the versatility to move him around and play him in different places and in sub-packages and his ability to get the football.”
Cleveland (8-3) has put together a winning season, amidst the injuries to the secondary. As it stands now, the Browns rank 20 in the NFL in opponent passing yards-per-game with an average of 246.7. In the last three contests that average has dropped to 199.0.
There is a belief in the system the defensive coaches put in place and the players who will be called upon, guys like Karl Joseph, who has started four games, 33-year-old Andrew Sendejo and Tedric Thompson, who the Browns claimed off waivers from Kansas City at the start of the week.
“(Harrison) is a physical player,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel. “He’s a very good run defender, somebody that plays with a lot of passion and energy.
“I would imagine that the scheme would remain consistent with what they're doing. We'll have to be ready for those guys that are going to step in there for him.”
However, it’s important to note that the Browns defense and the opposing yards-per-game stat benefitted from terrible weather conditions in three of the last four games.
Last Sunday against Jacksonville, on a rainy 38-degree day, Cleveland gave up 235 yards and two touchdown passes to Mike Glennon, who at one point in the year was the Jaguars third-string quarterback. One of those touchdowns went for 46 yards to wide receiver Collin Johnson, who was wide open as he ran to the endzone. Glennon finished the game one two-point conversion away from beating the heavily favored Browns.
A week earlier, also in the rain, the Browns allowed 209 yards passing to Houston. The Raiders threw for 100 yards on Nov. 1 in 35 miles-per-hour winds.
All three games were in Cleveland.
Sunday, the Browns come to Nashville and the forecast is for a partly cloudy day with no rain.
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is sixth in the NFL with a 106.7 passer rating, is tied for seventh with 23 touchdown passes and remains in the top 20 for total passing yards.
“We will figure out the rotation,” Wood said.
If they don’t, it won’t matter which team actually runs the ball better.
