For the Cleveland Browns, the numbers are pretty plain: They’re No. 14 in yardage allowed this season, and No. 7 in points allowed, and that is even with the big 34-point dud they allowed to the Jaguars in Week 1. Since then, the Browns have given up 19 points to the Buccaneers, 18 to the Panthers (the No. 4 scoring team in the NFL), 24 to the Steelers, 17 to the Jets and, now, in a key Week 6 win, 10 to the Ravens. The unit not only lost its anchor defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, but also lost one of the great defensive players in league history, Myles Garrett, who was traded to the Rams in June.
And yet this defense is producing at much the same level it was in 2025, as Garrett was setting the single-season sack record. It’s early, and perhaps the group will backslide, but it has actually gotten better as the season has gone on, and should continue to get better as players like Mason Graham and Mike Hall return from injury.
Todd Monken Dodges Myles Garrett Comp
Still, coach Todd Monken was not about to step on a land mine laid for him in his Monday press conference, when he was asked why the Browns defense has been able to play better even without Garrett on board.
Monken swerved to avoid taking a backhanded shot at Garrett, but praised his group.
Said Monken, when asked about the team being better without Garrett: “I am not gonna say that, you said that. I am not gonna say that because he is not here. What I do know is that our guys play with physicality and play with elite effort. They’re connected, and they enjoy playing together and that’s part of the connection piece. They swarm to the football, and I think if you get that, it allows you to maximize your players’ measurable skillsets.
“I think you see that collectively each week, you see that from our guys. They also do a great job of understanding, as I think our team does, which is the idea of the ups and downs of an NFL game, the ebb and flow of it. The other team is going to make plays—so what, now what? Go on to the next play. Each play is six seconds, each play is independent in itself.”
Browns Defense Has Been Resilient
Some credit should belong to new Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, who certainly raised some anxiety with the way the defense played in his debut as an NFL coordinator. Rutenberg sometimes comes off as overly positive, but he has been backing up the good vibes with players who match it on the field.
Said Monken: “Shoot, defensively, we have given up scoring drives in the first drive each drive of the last three games. Then they’ve settled in and played outstanding and got stops. I’m really pleased with where we are at, and I think the guys are embracing—it’s the same scheme, but it’s a different coordinator, we’re calling it different. There’s different things we are doing on the back end which has really added to where we are at now.”
Browns’ Todd Monken Makes Statement on Defense Minus Myles Garrett