Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse plans to make Trevor Lawrence uncomfortable Sunday, and he isn’t being subtle about it.
Ahead of Cleveland’s season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Verse praised Lawrence’s ability to punish a defense with his arm and legs. But the Browns’ approach won’t involve sitting back and hoping the quarterback makes a mistake.
“Trevor Lawrence is a great player,” Verse said Thursday. “He can go back there and he can dot you up all day, but he can also run the ball around you if you give him those gaps of the seams. And we’re just going to rush and get after him. We’re not going to rush scared because you can’t do that with anybody.
“If you rush scared, he’s just going to be back there dotting you up the whole time. We’re going to get after him. We’re going to get to him. We’re going to hit him. We’re going to try to sack him a couple times, hopefully a lot more than a couple, but we’re just going to do what we have to do to get that win.”
Jared Verse Embraces Mike Rutenberg’s Defensive Philosophy
Verse’s approach fits what new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg has been preaching: smart and violent. Rutenberg has made effort, physicality and attacking the ball central to his defensive philosophy after taking over for Jim Schwartz. The expectation extends beyond the pass rush. He wants defenders pursuing opportunities to force turnovers while trusting teammates to handle their assignments.
“When the ball is thrown, we’re arriving with bad intentions,” Rutenberg said. “We’re built off that. We choose violence in everything we do, and it doesn’t have to be a tackle, ball’s in the air, we’re knocking it out. That’s what we’re built off. We do our job so my brother can do his, I do mine and a little bit more. And our guys have done that. They do it in practice, they do it in walk through. It’s awesome to see.”
Sunday provides the first regular-season test of that approach. Verse sounds ready to help establish that identity during his first snaps in a Browns uniform.
“This defense is relentless,” Verse said. “We’re fast and relentless. In the preseason, you’re out there trying to get some guys a little bit more play time and everything like that, but now it’s time for us to get loose. This is the real season. It’s time for us to go out there and dominate. And that’s what this is. It’s a dominant defense and that’s what you’re going to see.”
Browns Need New-Look Offense to Deliver Against Jaguars
Cleveland enters the opener as a steep underdog, facing one of the larger spreads of the weekend. But the Browns also look considerably different from a year ago, particularly on offense.
Much of the attention will fall on Deshaun Watson, who is returning to regular-season action after nearly two years. He has another opportunity to prove he can still be a capable starter, with little reason to expect patience from a fan base that has already waited through injuries and disappointing performances.
Rookie receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion will be under the microscope as well. Cleveland is counting on its young targets to help change the offense, and their ability to get open and give Watson dependable options will be an early measure of that progress.
Browns Star Jared Verse Delivers Stark Warning to Jaguars