Browns’ defensive snap counts, stats, and notes: Week 6

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on defense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 6 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

• After the game, Ben Roethlisberger said, “It just never felt like we did much on offense,” despite putting up 31 points as a unit. To an extent, he’s right. It was similar to when the Browns played Washington earlier this season and scored 34 points. It wasn’t a high-powered, explosive day for Pittsburgh. They simply minimized their mistakes, had a good run-pass balance, and capitalized when our defense got overly aggressive.
• The defensive line had a sub-standard day. To Pittsburgh’s credit, they were one of the few teams that said, “Hey, you know that Myles Garrett guy that everyone else keeps single-blocking...well, we’re going to actually double and triple block him like everyone should.” Garrett still managed one sack despite that. The rest of the line did not deliver much, though.
• Larry Ogunjobi played most of the game, despite coming off of injury.

• B.J. Goodson was the Browns’ highest-graded defender with a grade of 85.7, and also led the team in tackles and helped bring Roethlisberger down for a sack early on.
• The reps for the other linebackers were still split relatively evenly between Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, and Malcolm Smith. Maybe it’s just me, but I swear from the eye test that I have still yet to actually see Wilson involved in a key defensive play.

• Heading into the game, PFF had the outside coverage grades of Denzel Ward and Terrance Mitchell ranked fourth in the NFL. I was hoping Roethlisberger would challenge those guys on outside routes, and he did. Let’s just say that it wasn’t the best days for Ward and Mitchell.
• Ward gave up the double move for a wide open touchdown. I get that it was a desperation move — taking a chance to try to do something to flip the momentum. But instead, it added an easy six points for the Steelers.
• Mitchell missed an interception on the second play of the game, something that likely wouldn’t have changed the physicality level of the game, but if you’re looking for a possible butterfly effect to have made it a different ballgame, that was our chance. Mitchell’s coverage wasn’t terrible the rest of the way, but Pittsburgh’s receivers were winning the one-on-one matchups. Booooo.

• I’m sure Browns fans are very tired of seeing Andrew Sendejo fly late to a play about 10 times a game and then try to make a tackle like an uncoordinated missile.
• Sheldrick Redwine made the start and didn’t have the best showing. Too many missed tackles by the safeties turned average gains for James Conner into bigger gains: