Browns’ defensive snap counts, stats, and notes: Week 14

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on offense for the Cleveland Browns’ Week 14 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

• It didn’t seem like a banner day for Myles Garrett. If this were a chess match between he and Lamar Jackson, then Jackson definitely got the better of him. I know it’s not easy at all for any defender to take down a player like Jackson, but Olivier Vernon did a good job of containing him and not surprisingly has six sacks on the season. Garrett still received a respectable PFF grade of 77.9.
• Vincent Taylor blocked an extra point on special teams.
• Sheldon Richardson notched a sack, but he slipped on a 3rd-and-10 play that allowed Trace McSorley to complete a first-down pass to keep them in the game.

• Sione Takitaki was the Browns’ highest-graded defender with a grade of 78.6.
• This was not a good day at all for Mack Wilson. I wanted to root like hell for Wilson, but the more we see from him, I think it’s clear that he’s not going to be a starting-level player in 2021. He received a putrid grade of 22.9 from PFF.

• Ugh, we knew the Browns’ cornerback situation would come back to bite them at some point, and this was the week. Tavierre Thomas was picked apart by Baltimore in Week 1. This time around, M.J. Stewart was the nickelback, and he received a terrible grade of 29.3 from PFF. He allowed the bailout throw to Mark Andrews in the first half that led to a touchdown, and had some other lapses too. You have to think that Kevin Johnson, who would normally be in that role, does a better job in those situations. But Johnson is starting for the injured Denzel Ward.
• That’s the nature of the game sometimes. I could complain about the Browns’ cornerback situation, but Baltimore had the same thing — Jimmy Smith went down, they were banged up, and Cleveland started attacking their corners outside of Marlon Humphrey too.

• Andrew Sendejo suffered a concussion trying to stop a two-point conversion by JK Dobbins. You know what, my feeling on Sendejo has oddly started to change lately. Granted, I do not think he should be starting and seeing this much playing time. But when he was signed this offseason, he was supposed to be a guy who plays maybe 20 snaps per game. He’s a veteran doing what he can, and although he’s been a below average safety, I do appreciate the fact that he tries to give it his all on this team. That attempt to stop Dobbins failed, but he didn’t let him waltz in. He put his body on the line to try to come up with an impactful play.
• With that said, hopefully Ronnie Harrison comes back soon, and we still desperately need help at the safety position. Even the Giants or Jets will attack us there.