The Browns have missed crucial tackles with the game on the line in each of the past three games, but vow to get that corrected today against the Dolphins.
View full sizeStill seething from their errors in the final minutes against Carolina and in previous weeks against the Jets and Jaguars, Sheldon Brown (right, against the Panthers' Brandon LaFell) and the rest of the Browns defense have put in a spirited week of practice in attempting to regain their footing Sunday against Miami.• Browns at Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. TV: WOIO Ch. 19
MIAMI, Fla. -- Rob Ryan, who acknowledged that his Ph. D is in football, evoked Mark Twain to explain how his embattled Browns defense will bounce back Sunday from three straight weeks of costly missed tackles.
"The death of our defense has been greatly exaggerated," said Ryan. "Our guys have had a great week of practice and we're responding. We're looking forward to this challenge and we're going to prove our mettle."
Over the past three weeks, the defense has missed crucial tackles with the game on the line: the 37-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes in overtime that cost them a tie in the Jets game, the 75-yard screen pass in Jacksonville that blew the victory, and the 32-yard pass at the end of the Panthers game that nearly cost them the win.
"It's amazing because I haven't seen guys miss tackles all year like that and then we'll have a rash of them," said Ryan. "We've got to stop it and that's what we're doing. There's no excuse for it. If you're in the right place to make a tackle, you've got to get him down. I think guys press at those times, when the game's on the line."
Heading into last week's game against the Panthers, Ryan knew his defense was off. He didn't bound into his Friday press conference with the same gusto, and his apprehensions were borne out when the Browns snapped a streak of 23 straight games without surrendering a TD on the opening drive.
"It's the first time in a long time ... where you just know as a coordinator that you're not having a good week of practice," Ryan said. "That was not what we were looking for obviously and it looked like we had to wake up. We got back on track, but our tackling still wasn't up to par."
This week in practice, veteran cornerback Sheldon Brown, who spoke out after the Panthers game about the woeful finish, set the tone.
"During the course of the week, he was wrapping up guys and it was just his mentality," said linebacker David Bowens. "It started on Wednesday when we were in pads, and then everyone else started doing it. Being the veteran that he is, Sheldon backed up what he said by the way he practiced."
Brown, who came under for fire after the Jacksonville game for trying to strip Maurice Jones-Drew on a 75-yard screen pass instead of wrapping him up, wanted to make a statement.
"It's important to lead by example," he said. "I wanted to show the younger guys that I'm working on the things that I need to work on. If I can do it after being in this league for so long, there's no excuse for you not to do it."
He said he's trying to instill the same work ethic in the younger players here that older veterans did with him in Philadelphia.
"The guys you really want in your foxhole are the guys that really prove it when nobody's watching during adversity," he said. "It's more important that you rise to the occasion during the hard times than the front-runner that a lot of people are when things are great."
He derived little satisfaction from the NFL agreeing with the Browns that time should've run out after the 28-yard catch by Carolina's Brandon LaFell because Brown had touched him inbounds. Fortunately, John Kasay missed the ensuing field goal attempt.
"The games shouldn't even come down to those plays," he said. "It's just not being used to winning, understanding how to finish it. We're in position early, where the only thing we have to do is not make mistakes."
The Browns know that good tackling will be paramount against Dolphins backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, along with tight end Davone Bess and receiver Brandon Marshall.
"Try to block-tackle Ricky Williams, it's not going to work," said coach Eric Mangini. "Same thing with Ronnie Brown. He's very patient in the backfield. He's got a great ability to navigate through traffic and nothing's hurried. You've got to be sound on the edge and you've got to be sound up front and this is a group that will commit to running and if they get it going, they'll keep it going."
Miami can also bust out the Wildcat, which the Browns have experience practicing against.
"These guys will run it down your throat if you're not ready," said Ryan. "They'll get in that Wildcat and pound you with it. I think they had about (471) yards against Oakland so that will get your attention. They have a two-headed monster back there, they can just keep feeding one and sometimes they're both in there together.
"But we're excited. We can't wait to get back to play and get things corrected."