CLEVELAND, Ohio — Myles Garrett labored on a defense in 2022 that had issues from start to finish, from blown coverages and missed assignments to disgruntled players, with everything in between.
He still managed to tie his club record of 16.0 sacks, but the defense faltered in many areas, including tying for 27th in the NFL with only 34 sacks, and ranking 25th against the run.
Kevin Stefanski cleaned house after the disappointing performance, which contributed in a big way to the Browns’ 7-10 record. He let defensive coordinator Joe Woods, defensive line coach Chris Kiffin and secondary coach Jeff Howard go, replacing them with Jim Schwartz, Ben Bloom (defensive line), Brandon Lynch (cornerbacks) and Ephraim Banda (safeties).
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The Browns then acquired more than a dozen new defenders, including three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith and three-time Super Bowl participant Juan Thornhill. It’s a lot of upheaval in one offseason, especially with three AFC North games in the first four weeks.
But Garrett has spent a lot of time studying the playbook and talking to Schwartz, and he’s confident the Browns will hit the ground running and be ready for those early division rumbles and for a much better 2023.
Why? Because the commands are simple, and the defenders will know the assignment. For the defensive linemen, Schwartz’s pets, it’s basically “see quarterback, get quarterback.” It’s a defense that enables Siaki Ika to put the pedal to the metal as a Ferrari instead of chugging along as a dump truck. In the back end, there will be more man coverage and more streamlined coverages.
“I think (Schwartz) just helps simplify things and I don’t think that’s a knock on Joe (Woods),” Garrett said. “I think you really have to be intent on knowing your personnel and trying to tune in to what their skill sets and their abilities and capabilities are. And if you put too much on somebody’s plate rather than someone else’s, that can lead to disruption and really a disconnection between sometimes groups on the field.”
Garrett attributed blown coverages in the last-minute meltdown against the Jets in Week 2 and other mistakes to players not really understanding their roles.
“I think we saw that early in the season with some of the big misreads that we had in the back end,” Garrett said. “I think he’s really helped break it down for some of the guys in the back end. And I think he’s done the same up front, allowing us to really play free. Studying the playbook while I was gone, it’s pretty deep, but it’s all still pretty simple.”
By the end of October, Jadeveon Clowney had refused to play anything but third down against the Ravens because he got switched to Ronnie Stanley’s side, Perrion Winfrey had been suspended for maturity issues, and defensive backs were heard shouting in the locker room after the loss in Baltimore. The Browns were 2-5 at that point, and the playoffs were already a longshot.
But Stefanski and Schwartz have rectified those issues, and the Browns should mostly look like a cohesive unit from the jump. On top of everything else, they’ve added a leader in safety Rodney McLeod, who played for Schwartz for five seasons in Philadelphia, including one Super Bowl campaign, and will help implement his scheme and way.
“(The potential is) as far as we want to take it,” Garrett said. “I think the guys that we have are very talented in many ways, and there’s a lot of different skillsets that we have on the D-line. But you have a lot of guys who have just been waiting on this opportunity that we have, this freedom that we’ve been given. I know Schwartz likes to say, ‘take off the seatbelt,’ so I think that’s really the mindset. You get out there and you’re just letting it loose. Don’t worry about all these rules and doing all of this. As soon as you know your assignment, you get off the ball and (mess things up). Get to the ball.”
Schwartz is also living up to his vow of making his star players his best leaders. He and Garrett talked before the start of the offseason program and had a meeting of the minds about Garrett skipping the two weeks of organized team activities and working out on his own. In addition to knowing what’s best for his body, the four-time Pro Bowler suffered a dislocated right big toe during the Pro Bowl Games in January, and didn’t need any undue reps on it. He also spent some time in Japan and London during the offseason.
“Really, just a communication with Coach,” Garrett said. “Just getting on the same page about when he wanted me here and when he didn’t. Then making sure that I got up here early to meet with the new coaches, talking to the new guys, making sure that we had a dialogue and everything was communicated thoroughly so that there was nobody on the wrong page. We got it all worked out and that was where I needed to be, working on my game, taking care of myself and my health and I think it’s all worked out.”
Getting off on the right foot is imperative for Garrett, who hasn’t always been enthralled with his coordinator over the years — although he did support Woods last season.
“That’s what it means to have a true player’s coach,” Garrett said of the OTAs dialogue. “Someone who’s willing to listen to his players and what they need and how they view themselves getting better. When I’m here, I’m here. I’m all in and I’m doing exactly what everyone else is doing. But when I have the opportunity to get away and go where I think I can take it up the notch and grow as a person and a player, he’s been willing to give me that freedom.”
He’ll also give him the latitude to rush the passer from positions of strength and unlock his true potential, possibly enabling him to eclipse those 16 sacks. If so, he might challenge for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
“It’s my job to give him some answers and to be able to put some pieces scheme-wise and personnel-wise around him to allow him to be free and more productive,” Schwartz said. “The bar is set really high for a good reason.”
The quickest way to Garrett’s heart is to insure he’ll be unleashed, and hopefully sometimes not doubled and tripled.
“I mean that’s what he said and I think there’s a definitely opportunity for that,” he said. “He’s going to put me in a position, in an awesome position, to make plays. I don’t think he’s just going to be looking for 95 and make one on ones. Sure, that’s going to happen and I’m sure in key points and moments of the game, we’re going to try to get someone free.
“If that works for me, then it works for me. But at the end of the day, we’re just trying to get one on ones across the board. I think that’s just a nod to him because, you can’t just key in on one guy. If the offense chooses to not let me get a one on one that day, you just have to make sure the other guys are freed up and able to make plays.”
Sound simple? That’s the plan.
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