Does This Team Have the Best Defense in the NFL?

Is the Cleveland Browns defense the “best in the world?” as safety Juan Thornhill proclaimed after Sunday’s huge upset over the San Francisco 49ers.

One can forgive Cleveland, dubiously dubbed the “Mistake by the Lake” for getting a little excited over this win. First of all, the Browns don’t win games like this. In consecutive years, Cleveland was denied trips to the Super Bowl. John Elway’s “The Drive.” Ernest Byner’s “The Fumble.” Hell, even on down to last year’s two-minute disaster against the New York Jets and Cade York’s missed field goal against the Los Angeles Chargers.

But, empirically speaking, how good is the Cleveland Browns defense, really?

Is the Cleveland Browns Defense the “Best in the World”?

There’s no question that the Browns defense is the best so far in 2023. They’re number one in yards per game allowed. At just a shade over 200 a game, they’re more than 60 yards ahead of second-ranked Baltimore. They’re allowing about 10 first downs per game. That’s six less than No. 2 Dallas. Third down conversion percentage? Cleveland ranks first at 23.08% – eight percent better than Atlanta. For the record (pun fully intended): The third-ranked teams in each of these categories are a lot closer to second place than the better teams are to the Browns defense.

Entering Sunday’s game, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had yet to lose a game in his professional career that he finished. His passing numbers were at the top of the league. They were so good, in fact, that after the Browns defense shut him down, he’s still a close second and far ahead of third place. For the season, Purdy’s QB rating is 111.9. The Browns cut that number in half.

The highest-paid player in NFL history is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He turned in a 52.2 rating against the Browns defense. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill did slightly better, hitting a 62.8 mark. 2022 Pittsburgh first-round pick Kenny Pickett: 71.8. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the only thrower to go over 100 this season.

The 2023 Cleveland Browns Defense in Historical Context

It’s great to lead the NFL in anything at any point, and six weeks is a decent sample size. But the Browns defense claims it’s the “best in the world.” So where does it stack up, historically?

With a total of 1,002 yards given up this season, the Browns defense has allowed the third-fewest in the NFL through five games since 1970. Moreover, if the Browns defense stays on this trajectory, it can best the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles. That season, Philadelphia allowed a total of 3,549 yards. With 1,0002 yards allowed so far, that would put the Browns defense at a total of 3,406.8 yards for the year.

The most surprising part of that stat? The 2023 Cleveland Browns will play one more regular season game than the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles.

The Jim Schwartz Effect Is Real

In 2022, the Browns averaged 331.2 yards allowed per game. Their 200.4 thus far is 60% of that. That’s a massive reduction in just a single offseason.

The stats are intriguing, without question. But the Browns defense has swagger. Even in the 1980s, when the team was consistently at its best with Bernie Kosar at the helm, it didn’t have swagger. The Browns defense consistently believes that it is the best in the world and backs it up on the field.

“We say it all the time, we’re the best in the world as a defense and particularly as a secondary,” Newsome said on Sunday. “We preach that every single week. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing or whatever, we’re going to stick to what we do and we’re going to execute.”

On Monday, Denzel Ward got in on the action as well. “Yeah, that’s our goal, is to be number one, to be that best defense,” Ward said. He went on to say: “But I think we got all the guys and got all the coaches and everything that we need to be that number one defense.”

Eight of the 11 starters on the team returned from last year’s squad. If nothing else, the 2023 Browns defense shows what a difference having the right attitude at the top can make.