Browns defense: Least yards given up through 5 games in over 50 years

Jim Schwartz’s unit has made life difficult for a bunch of quarterbacks in 2023

The Cleveland Browns are 3-2 in 2023 despite a long list of injuries and poor play on the offensive side of the ball. Before the season started, the Browns schedule was seen as difficult through the first five games finishing up with the San Francisco 49ers.

Browns vs 49ers turned into a slugfest of defenses and injured offenses. Cleveland put together an impressive 334 yards of offense despite QB PJ Walker taking over as the starter while San Francisco’s offense only had 215 yards.

DC Jim Schwartz has had the Browns defense looking great in four out of five games this season. The Baltimore Ravens were the only team to take advantage of Schwartz’s unit. Cleveland’s other loss was due to two touchdowns given away by the offense.

How good has the Browns defense been? The least yards given up through five games (not weeks) in over 50 years:

Turning MVP contender QB Brock Purdy into a pedestrian quarterback, 44% completion for 125 yards, one touchdown, one interception and sacked three teams, is impressive. Doing similar against Joe Burrow in Week 1 and holding RB Derrick Henry to just 20 yards rushing in Week 3 are other feathers in Schwartz’s cap.

In the end, wins are all that matters. On Sunday, Browns versus 49ers was won by a historic defense after both teams made a number of mistakes (including three combined missed field goals) in the other phases of the game.

Are you surprised at the historic stat noted in the above tweet? Do you think any team in 2023 can be led by their defense on the way to the playoffs?

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