As the Browns enter the 2025 offseason, the defense will look to improve on its shortcomings in the 2024 season and build on the strengths it displayed throughout the year.
"We all have to go into the offseason and find ways that we can be better and be the best versions of ourselves for this team," CB Denzel Wardsaid.
Perhaps the most notable statistical difference between the Browns' defensive performance in 2023 and in 2024 was in its ability to take away the football. In 2023, the Browns had 28 takeaways, the fifth most in the NFL. This season, the Browns finished with just 12, the second fewest in the league.
Of the Browns 12 takeaways in 2024, eight were fumble recoveries, meaning the Browns had just four interceptions a season after they had 18 interceptions in 2023. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said that there is an element of randomness when it comes to fumble recoveries, as a forced fumble can bounce indiscriminately into the hands of an offensive player or a defensive player.
However, Schwartz expressed his disappointment in the Browns' difficulties in coming down with interceptions this season, noting that there were several opportunities to create turnovers in the passing game.
"I'd like to come down with a few more interceptions and that's a combination of rush and coverage. You get good pressure, and the quarterback goes off his back foot and balls sail. We've had a chance to make (interceptions). The first game we played (the Ravens), we had the ball in our hands I think four times in that game, and we came down with zero of them," Schwartz said Jan. 1. "Our guys are trying really hard, but obviously turnovers are the lifeblood of your team offensively and defensively. And we certainly haven't done enough of that this year and that'll be a big point of emphasis."
While takeaways on defense give a team's offense an opportunity to put points on the board, giveaways on offense can make life more difficult for a team's defense. The Browns offense led the league in giveaways in 2024, with 23 interceptions and 11 lost fumbles.
Because of turnovers on offense, the Browns defense often had to defend short fields. In some moments, the Browns defense was able to respond to an offensive turnover with a stop of their own many times throughout the season, holding opposing offenses to the eighth-lowest third down conversion rate of 36.2 percent. In others, they were unable to prevent opposing offenses from finding the end zone.
For instance, in Week 18 against the Ravens, the Browns turned the ball over on downs at their own 39-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Browns defense stood tall, forcing an incompletion on fourth down from QB Lamar Jackson after the Ravens made their way into the end zone.
As the game went into the fourth quarter, the Browns defense was unable to keep up the same level of success on short fields. After QB Bailey Zappe's second interception of the game, the Ravens took over at midfield. Two plays later, RB Derrick Henry took a handoff 43 yards to the end zone.
"Those guys kept taking the field and kept swinging. It wasn't perfect. Obviously, as you know, we wore down towards the end there of that football game, which was disappointing. But I can't fault the effort," Stefanski said Jan. 5. "We need to do a better job of setting our team up for success and I think too often this season our defense had to take the field in some really, really tough spots after a turnover."
One bright spot for the Browns defense this season was the stellar play of Ward, who was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl after leading the league in passes defensed with 19, adding two interceptions.
Ward, who was named a team captain ahead of the 2024 season for the first time in his seven-year career, made a concerted effort to become an active leader during the season.
"Just trying to be more vocal with this team," Ward said. "Be more hands on and communicate and be open to guys who need help and just try to teach as we go along and help the best way I can. I'm still learning myself, but I'm just trying to grow in my leadership role as well."
While Ward has played at a high level throughout his career, his lockdown ability against some of the top receivers in the league this season, including Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase and Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb, stood out to his head coach.
"Teams don't often throw his way. When they do, it's not oftentimes successful," Stefanski said. "He's just got that innate ability to defend the other team's best guy typically. So, really proud of how he played. I think there's always room to improve. I think Denzel would tell you there's always room to improve, but he played at a really high level."
Ahead of the 2024 season, Ward hosted fellow Browns CB Martin Emerson Jr. in Florida over the offseason as the two trained together in an effort to build on a successful 2023 season. Ward said that he would again host any members of the Browns secondary who were interested in putting in extra work over the offseason.
While Ward's individual success is notable, his desire to win trumps personal accolades. Another offseason offers Ward and the rest of the Browns defense an opportunity to improve individually and collectively as they seek for better results in 2025.
"This is a team sport, and everyone has to do their one-eleventh," Ward said. "So, we just have to continue to bring in guys and mold each other to be better and help each other out so we can be great out there."
