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The Browns' defense held the Ravens to just a field goal for three quarters, and even up until near the mid-way point of the fourth quarter, but a couple of deep balls from Joe Flacco turned the tides and helped lead to 17 unanswered. Let's take a look back at the defensive snap counts from Week 17. [Week 17 offensive snap counts for Cleveland can be found here]
| Defensive Line |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Winn | Sione Fua | John Hughes | Jaime Meder | Desmond Bryant |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 75% 50/67 plays |
70% 47/67 plays |
63% 42/67 plays |
39% 26/67 plays |
21% 14/67 plays |
Billy Winn: 2 tackles, 1 assist (3 combined). 2 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback hit.
Sione Fua: 1 assist (1 combined).
John Hughes: 2 tackles, 5 assists (7 combined). 1 quarterback hit.
Jamie Meder: 1 tackle (1 combined).
Desmond Bryant: 1 quarterback hit.
Thoughts: Our Week 17 defensive line is always pretty thin, and the veteran Bryant wasn't even utilized to his full capacity for the finale. The returning Hughes seemed to play a factor in stopping the Ravens' running game most of the game, until a couple of big runs in the fourth quarter. Meder will be known as the local kid whose helmet kept coming off.
| Inside Linebacker |
||
|---|---|---|
| Karlos Dansby | Craig Robertson | Chris Kirksey |
 |
 |
 |
| 100% 67/67 plays |
58% 39/67 plays |
24% 16/67 plays |
Karlos Dansby: 6 tackles, 2 assists (8 combined).
Craig Robertson: 5 tackles, 3 assists (8 combined). 2 tackles for loss.
Chris Kirksey: 1 assist (1 combined).
Thoughts: The Browns could potentially look to upgrade the spot opposite of Dansby next season, but a rotation at the position isn't a weak point, it's merely an average spot on the defense.
| Outside Linebacker |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Barkevious Mingo | Paul Kruger | Scott Solomon | Jabaal Sheard |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 69% 46/67 plays |
55% 37/67 plays |
54% 36/67 plays |
28% 19/67 plays |
Barkevious Mingo: 1 pass defended.
Paul Kruger: 3 tackles, 2 assists (5 combined). 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble.
Scott Solomon: 3 assists (3 combined).
Jabaal Sheard: No stats registered.
Thoughts: Sheard played through a foot injury at the end of the season, but part of me wonders if his decline in playing time is a sign that he won't return in 2015. Truth be told, he seemed to have very little impact on the defense this year. Kruger had a big strip sack that Baltimore recovered, but if Cleveland would've been able to get the ball, it could've been a scoop-and-score before the end of the half.
| Cornerback |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Buster Skrine | Joe Haden | K'Waun Williams | Pierre Desir |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 96% 64/67 plays |
93% 62/67 plays |
36% 24/67 plays |
4% 3/67 plays |
Buster Skrine: 5 tackles (5 combined).
Joe Haden: 3 tackles, 1 assist (4 combined). 3 passes defended.
K'Waun Williams: 1 tackle (1 combined).
Pierre Desir: No stats registered.
Thoughts: Haden played heroically in the finale, battling both the flu and his shoulder injury. He came away with three passes defended but was beat by the deep ball mid-way through the fourth quarter. Skrine was caught for two touchdowns in the fourth, but neither one was a blown coverage. Williams banged his head on the turf during the game. Desir stepped in briefly and played sound coverage on veteran Steve Smith.
| Safety |
||
|---|---|---|
| Donte Whitner | Jim Leonhard | Jordan Poyer |
 |
 |
 |
| 100% 67/67 plays |
94% 63/67 plays |
22% 15/67 plays |
Donte Whitner: 5 tackles, 1 assist (6 combined). 1 tackle for loss.
Jim Leonhard: 2 tackles, 1 assist (3 combined).
Jordan Poyer: 1 tackle, 1 assist (2 combined).
Thoughts: This was it for Leonhard, supposedly. I tip my cap to him for a solid season at his age. He was a free agent I wanted about five years ago, and when we finally got him this year. So long, Leonhard.