The Cleveland Browns will still employ a 4-3 defense, but the front will be changing. New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will use a “wide-9” front, which features having his ends line up outside both offensive tackles. By doing this, it enables the ends to get up field faster.
Veteran DL coach Jim Washburn, who came up with this defensive front back in the late 1990s when the two were working with the Tennessee Titans, was hired as a defensive consultant by Schwartz earlier this year.
A coaching source very familiar with this front and Schwartz’s defensive philosophy said this type of front will ask the cornerbacks to play the run more than most teams do because the ends are getting up field. You will see a low percentage of blitzing, and Schwartz puts a major premium on just four-man pressure.
While Schwartz has his critics around the NFL, it’s hard to argue against the success that many of his defensive linemen have had in the past.
Here are some examples of DL sack numbers under Schwartz or Washburn over the years (note: minimum of EIGHT sacks):
Defensive Tackles
- Albert Haynesworth/Titans: 8.5 (2008)
- Ndamukong Suh/Lions: 10.0 (2010), 8.0 (2012)
- Marcell Dareus/Bills: 10.0 (2014)
- Fletcher Cox/Eagles: 10.5 (2018)
Defensive Ends
- Jevon Kearse/Titans: 14.5 (1999), 11.5 (2000), 10.0 (2001), 9.5 (2003)
- Kevin Carter/Titans: 10.0 (2002)
- Kyle Vanden Bosch/Titans: 12.5 (2005), 12 (2007)
- Jerry Hughes/Bills: 10.0 (2014)
- Jason Babin/Titans: 12.5 (2010), Eagles: 18.0 (2011)
- Trent Cole/Eagles: 11.0 (2011)
- Cliff Avril/Lions: 11.0 (2011), 9.5 (2012)
- Mario Williams/Bills: 14.5 (2014)
- Ziggy Ansah/Lions: 8.0 (2013), 14.5 (2015)
- Michael Bennett/Eagles: 9.0 (2018)
- Brandon Graham/Eagles: 9.5 (2017), 8.5 (2019), 8.0 (2020)
So, don’t be surprised to see veteran DEs Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith put up huge sack numbers this season due to the defensive front adjustment.
