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The Cleveland Browns might be 0-2 and giving up 29 points per game to start the 2025 season, but Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love knows a big test awaits in the stingy Browns defense on Sunday.
Love said the defense is “really good” with good players “all over the place.” And the numbers agree.
“They are just a really sound defense,” Love said Wednesday. “Watching film, they don’t do a whole lot of crazy coverages. They are pretty set in what they want to run. It’s one of those defense that are like, this is what we’re going to run and you have to find ways to stop it. They’ve done a really good job against the run, and their rush shows up on tape all over the place. Their DBs are all tied in. They’ve been there a while. They are tied into the system. They are a really good defense, have good players all over the place, the scheme is good, so you don’t see a lot of wide open guys or busted coverages. They are a really good defense.”
While the Browns have allowed 58 points in two weeks, turnovers and special teams have directly led to 31 of the 58 points, including four different touchdowns during last week’s loss in Baltimore. In Week 1, the Browns limited Joe Burrow and the Bengals to 14 completions, only 113 passing yards and just 11 first downs. Last week, the Ravens managed only 14 first downs and 242 total yards.
Down to down, the Browns have been excellent, allowing only 3.8 yards per play (second in NFL), 5.0 net passing yards per play (seventh) and 2.1 rushing yards per play (first). The 383 total yards and 25 first downs allowed through two weeks both rank first in the NFL.
The game-wrecker for the Browns is Myles Garrett, who already has 3.5 sacks and 10 pressures in two games.
“He’s one of the best in the game,” Love said. “Definitely gotta know where he’s at.”
But the Browns also have a disruptive interior pass-rusher in Maliek Collins, a first-round rookie along the defensive line in Mason Graham, a linebacker playing at a high level in Devin Bush and a veteran secondary with a lot of experience playing together. Jim Schwartz, the veteran defensive coordinator, is highly respected around the league.
Like the Bengals and Ravens, the Packers may need the defense to help score points in Cleveland.
In Week 1, Joe Flacco was intercepted to set up the go-ahead field goal for the Bengals. Last week, Flacco had an interception returned to the 5-yard line and a fumble returned for a touchdown, and the Ravens blocked a punt to set up another short field and score.
By PFF grade, the Browns defense ranks first in football through two weeks.
Moving the football will be a challenge for Love and the Packers on Sunday.
“They’ve been great against the run, but they’ve also been really good against the pass as well. They are just all-around a good defense,” Love said. “For us, it’s about setting our identity and going out and playing our game.”
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