Almost every day I spend covering the Browns at team headquarters, FirstEnergy Stadium or on the road, there are too many news items, notes and observations to fit into the newspaper. So this blog is designed to feature the nuggets that don't appear in print. They're like deleted scenes on a Blu-ray/DVD or the youth football players who ride the pine during the game but get to shine afterward in an extra session often called "The Fifth Quarter."
Here are some leftovers from the Browns' 24-13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the second preseason game for both teams Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium.
An ongoing nightmare
Unlike the three Browns coaches who preceded him, Hue Jackson has made his team practice live tackling to the ground in training camp. Jackson has even dramatically signaled his "everything goes" hitting periods with ambulance sirens.
But Jackson's physical camp isn't paying off because the defense can't tackle, at least not on a consistent basis. And when a defense can't tackle, it can't stop the run. And when a defense can't stop the run ... you know how this goes. The Browns have been searching for a way to stop the run for about as long as they've been seeking a long-term answer at quarterback.
So even though the starting offense took a step in the right direction against the Falcons and the No. 1 defense held its own in bend-but-don't-break fashion after cornerback Justin Gilbert whiffed near the line of scrimmage and Atlanta scored a touchdown on Devonta Freeman's 19-yard run during its first possession, the inability to stop the run is playing the dreaded Debbie Downer role.
"We’re seeing a common theme that people are starting to run the ball at us pretty good, and we need to get that shored up fast," Jackson said.
"First and foremost, everybody has to just do their job," the coach added. "What happens when you start spreading a leak, everybody tries to cover up for another guy because I’m going to cover up for this guy, and I think we need to do that better, but more so than that I think we have got to tackle better. There were a lot of missed tackles tonight. I can’t wait to watch the tape to see exactly how many missed tackles we had, but we have to be a better tackling football team. This is a work in progress. We get it, and we have to do it better than what we’re doing."
The starting defense played four series and allowed 71 yards on 12 carries (5.9 average). The Falcons finished with 224 yards on 41 carries (5.5 average).
Starting outside linebacker Nate Orchard said several disgusted defenders will spend the team's day off studying film together Friday at team headquarters. Inside linebacker Demario Davis urged them to do so largely because of the pathetic run defense.
"Demario's our captain. He's our leader," Orchard said. "He's someone we all look up to. He says what needs to be fixed and what needs to be done. If he says jump, we jump. So we're going to follow his lead, and tomorrow we need to go in as a defense and get things fixed."
Orchard admitted the issues with tackling are even more frustrating because it means the defense isn't taking advantage of those siren periods in camp.
"It's tough," he said. "It's something you can coach and teach, but at the end of the day, we just need to go out and do it. Guys are right there. We just need to wrap up and take them down."
Jackson hasn't used the siren periods since the preseason games began. Maybe there should be more until the defense begins reap the benefits. Then again, why increase the risk of injury by tackling in practice if the players can't tackle in the games anyway?
The harsh reality is the defense may simply not be good enough to get the job done against the run. This is a young, rebuilding team with holes at virtually every position.
The previous regime drafted nose tackle Danny Shelton 12th overall last year in an attempt to halt the run, but to this point, he hasn't been the difference maker the defense needs. Shelton, Nick Hayden and Jamie Meder played into the third quarter against the Falcons, a sign defensive coordinator Ray Horton wasn't pleased with the performance of the D-line.
"We just need to make the tackles," inside linebacker Chris Kirksey said. "A lot of times the guys are in position to play, but we just didn’t make them. We have to look at the film and then get back to work and practice some of the techniques of tackling."
That's what is most maddening. The Browns have practiced tackling this summer, yet they're still where they always are against the run.
"Can't allow someone to come into our house and rush over 200-plus yards," Orchard said. "We want to be a great defense, and it all starts on the ground. We can't let someone run that way on us. So we've just got to go back to the drawing board and at the same time we have to find who we are, who we want to be and come out and play the way we should."
A bright spot on D
Rookie defensive end Carl Nassib was left unblocked, and he showed why he shouldn't be. Nassib sacked quarterback Matt Simms, forced him to fumble and recovered the fumble with 3:45 left in the third quarter. Nassib, a third-round draft pick from Penn State, had another sack last week in the preseason opener.
"The guy is doing some really good things, and he’s going to be a good football player, obviously," Jackson said. "He has to keep learning how we do things, how we go about our business on defense and keep getting better, but he has the characteristics that we’re looking for.”
In the opening quarter, Nassib and rookie second-round pick Emmanuel Ogbah were sprinkled in with the first-team defense. Ogbah appeared at outside linebacker with the starters (he's also playing D-end). On Nassib's first play with the No. 1 defense, he tipped a pass thrown by Falcons starting quarterback Matt Ryan.
"He has been tremendous for us," Kirksey said. "A young guy like that can get to the quarterback. He is a big guy that can move. That’s a good thing to have."
Another bright spot on D
Jamar Taylor broke up a third-down pass from Ryan to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, forcing the Falcons to punt with 5:44 left in the first quarter. Taylor also made two tackles.
With K'Waun Williams suspended by the Browns over an ugly disagreement about the health of his ankle, Taylor has secured the No. 1 nickel cornerback job.
But he's not satisfied with it.
"I want to get out of the nickel position and try to go up," Taylor said. "I don’t think you ever settle, and that’s one thing I’m not going to do is settle. There’s some great competition in the secondary. Iron sharpens iron, and we’re all out there competing. We all want to be out there on the field."
Reunion
Three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack returned to Cleveland, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career before signing with the Falcons in March as a free agent.
The Browns used a "Welcome Back Alex Mack" graphic on the scoreboard.
"Pretty emotional game," Mack said. "I was happy it was a preseason game so that I could ease into it. Coming back here to a place where I played 101 games and to not be on the Browns' sideline was such a weird feeling. I showed up early to say 'Hi' to a few people from around the building. The Browns are really a first-class program."
Another reunion
Browns starting quarterback Robert Griffin spoke to Kyle Shanahan, his former offensive coordinator in Washington who held the same job with Cleveland in 2013.
"I did get a chance to talk to Kyle," Griffin said. "I didn’t get a chance to see him on the field because he was in the box, but we talked before the game and just wished each other good luck. ... It was cool to hear from him."
The first string (stories that appeared in print and/or elsewhere on Ohio.com)
2. Marla Ridenour: Hope takes root as Griffin, Browns offense show big-play capability
3. Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor serves notice to league that he’s a deep-ball threat