One of the more surprising results in Week 1 was the Cleveland Browns’ commanding 24-3 victory over the visiting divisional rival Cincinnati Bengals.
How did the Browns hold the high-powered Bengals offense to just 142 total yards?
The Cleveland Browns Shut Down Joe Burrow on Sunday
They played quite a bit of zone defense (Cover 3, Cover 2, Inverted Cover 2) on first and second down, a league source said. And because the coverage was so tight and the pass rush was so strong, QB Joe Burrow held onto the ball a bit longer than normal, which could help to explain why Cleveland’s defense was credited with 10 QB hits.
"Week 1 doesn't define anyone's season." Joe Burrow pic.twitter.com/GARB9v4M68
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 10, 2023
When they played man coverage, second-year CB Martin Emerson did an “outstanding job” when he was matched up against fourth-year WR Tee Higgins, the source added.
Higgins had eight targets in the game but did not record a single reception.
As for their pass rush, the source added that four-time Pro Bowl DE Myles Garrett was nearly double-teamed all game but still had four QB hits and a sack.
Veteran DE Za’Darius Smith, who was acquired from the Minnesota Vikings earlier this year, lined up inside in obvious passing situations and also had four QB hits.