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Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on defense for the Cleveland Browns' Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Defensive Line
| Pos | Player | Plays | % | Stats |
| DL | Carl Nassib | 54 | 70% | 3 tackles (3 combined). 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QH, 1 pass defended. |
| DL | Xavier Cooper | 47 | 61% | 4 tackles (4 combined). |
| DL | Jamie Meder | 44 | 57% | 2 assists (2 combined). |
| DL | Danny Shelton | 42 | 55% | 3 tackles, 1 assist (4 combined). |
| DL | John Hughes | 22 | 29% | No stats registered. |
| DL | Stephen Paea | 16 | 21% | No stats registered. |
If there is one Browns player who received universal acclaim for his efforts against the Eagles, it was DL Carl Nassib, who is basically a starter. Credit to defensive coordinator Ray Horton for recognizing his work in the preseason and putting him on the field. His stat line is somewhat impressive, but it doesn't tell the full story. Nassib played the role a few times of helping drive Carson Wentz toward one of his teammates to make a hit. He also stayed home with Wentz a few times off of a playaction fake. Danny Shelton had an OK game -- I was happy to see he wasn't being blown off the ball left and right. Even though Cleveland allowed 133 yards rushing, they kept the yards per carry to 3.9 for the Eagles.
Outside Linebacker
| Pos | Player | Plays | % | Stats |
| OLB | Emmanuel Ogbah | 56 | 73% | 1 tackle (1 combined). 1 pass defended. |
| OLB | Joe Schobert | 29 | 38% | 1 tackle (1 combined). 1 pass defended. |
| OLB | Nate Orchard | 26 | 34% | 2 QH. |
Playing in nickel defense, that often meant that only one outside linebacker was on the field, with that being Emmanuel Ogbah. He did a nice job batting away a screen pass early, and Nate Orchard got a couple of nice hits on Wentz. I'd rather see these young guys fight their asses off, as opposed to watching Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo drone on for another year, so that's a positive.
Inside Linebacker
| Pos | Player | Plays | % | Stats |
| ILB | Christian Kirksey | 77 | 100% | 4 tackles, 2 assists (6 combined). 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QH. |
| ILB | Demario Davis | 75 | 97% | 6 tackles, 1 assist (7 combined). |
| ILB | Tank Carder |
2 | 3% | No stats registered. |
I thought Christain Kirksey had a heck of a preseason, and he continued to play well in Week 1, including getting to the quarterback a little more than I thought he would. Kirksey was used as a rotational player his first two years in the NFL, so it looks like he's finally being given the keys to being a leader of this defense. His all-around ability stands out.
Safety
| Pos | Player | Plays | % | Stats |
| S | Ibraheim Campbell | 77 | 100% | 5 tackles (5 combined). 1 QH. |
| S | Jordan Poyer | 58 | 75% | 6 tackles (6 combined). 1 TFL. |
| S | Derrick Kindred | 23 | 30% | 5 tackles (5 combined). |
I like the way Ibraheim Campbell finishes tackles, and he had a punishing hit on Wentz that even even I could feel through the TV, knowing Wentz is coming off of a rib injury. We saw a lot of Derrick Kindred early, and he was all over the place, logging 5 tackles in just 23 snaps. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury and missed the second half.
Cornerback
| Pos | Player | Plays | % | Stats |
| CB | Joe Haden | 73 | 95% | 3 tackles (3 combined). 1 pass defended. |
| CB | Jamar Taylor | 67 | 87% | 5 tackles (5 combined). |
| CB | Tramon Williams | 56 | 73% | 2 tackles (2 combined). 1 QH. |
| CB | Tracy Howard | 3 | 4% | No stats registered. |
The Eagles didn't target Joe Haden in the first half, but he was fair game in the second half and Carson Wentz got several completions on him. The throws were very nice, but again, it's discouraging to see Haden be on the losing end yet again against a team not known for their prowess at the receiver position.
Tramon Williams had a really bad start to the game, committing a holding penalty (admittedly ticky-tack) and allowing a touchdown pass. His coverage wasn't terrible, but it's also not a good look when you're already demoted from starter-to-nickelback, and then you don't come through in your new role. If we were going to have someone get beat in there, I would have rather it been a young guy like Justin Gilbert (yes, I still wish he would've panned out a little), or Trey Caldwell (currently on the practice squad). We'll see if one of the Browns' waiver claims takes over the nickel spot before long.