Za’Darius Smith #99 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates a layup during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on December 24, 2023.
The Cleveland Browns owe much of their success to their defense.
The Browns hired Jim Schwartz to improve that, and the turnaround was swift.
Needless to say, bringing in a lot of help in the offseason, including former Minnesota Vikings star DE Za’Darius Smith, has paid off.
So it’s no surprise that the Browns currently have the fourth-best passing duo in QB pressures (146) when Smith and Myles Garrett are on the field at the same time, according to PFF.
If that’s not impressive enough, Garrett and Smith have the fewest totals (1,396) of any duo on the roster.
This means they are the most efficient passing tandem in the entire league.
Myles Garrett is having the best season of his career and it’s no coincidence.
Being around an experienced and dominant veteran like Smith put a lot of pressure on him.
Even though he was double-teamed on almost every snap, he still found a way to affect others.
Garrett is on pace to win Defensive Player of the Year honors for the first time in his career.
Honestly, there is no debate at this point.Even though the offense finally broke thanks to the incredible play of Joe Flacco, at least two-thirds of the credit for a surprisingly good season has to go to the defensive unit.
NFL Week 18 vs Bengals Expert Predictions.
The Cincinnati Bengals were eliminated from the playoffs and the Cleveland Browns were locked in the No. 5 in the playoffs.
That means nothing this weekend as the Browns head to Payco Stadium for the Battle of Ohio.
The Bengals have struggled against the Browns in recent years, but Cleveland will likely rest their starters for this game.
It’s no wonder, then, that the Bengals are considered the favorite this week.
They are currently a 7-rated favorite on FanDuel.Let’s see who the experts are on the Battle of Ohio.
Prisco’s NFL picks for Week 18: Bills sink Dolphins en route to AFC East title.
Texas confirmed to advance to playoffs [Pete Prisco, CBS Sports]Picks: Bengals 23, Browns 20“The Maroons are locked in at number five, which means they can rest their players here.
The Bengals are out, but still playing their final game of the year.
It’s a tough pick, but I’ll stick with the Bengals because the Browns have a lot more to look forward to. “-
Piet FriscoPrisco is picking the Bengals to finish with at least one win in the division because he thinks the Bengals will barely beat the Browns in the season finale.
The Browns are resting because they are in fifth place and have nothing to play for other than the pride of beating their division rival.
NFL Week 18 picks, predictions and spreads: Bills beat Dolphins in AFC East.
Cowboys, Packers take care of playoff business [Vinny Iyer, Sporting News]Picks: Bengals 27, Browns 20″
The Browns are poised to enter the playoffs as a top wild card team, beating the Jaguars, Texans and Colts, who have each lost one game this season, and ahead of the Ravens, who are on pace to defeat the AFC South champions .
They could make some improvements on offense with Joe Flacco, but you can bet they won’t threaten their key defensive talent.
“Jake Browning of the Bengals will play with a lot of pride and do his best to make Joe Burrow proud one last time in a losing season.”-
Winnie AyerIyer is expected to take the ball and win with the Bengals, noting that the Browns don’t have much playing time for their starter this week.
If the Bengals win this game, they can win, which will motivate the players.
NFL Week 18 picks: Bills beat Dolphins to win AFC East, Bears stun Packers, Colts vs. Texas plays thriller [John Breech, CBS Sports]Picks:
Bengals 20, Browns 17Breech did not write any lyrics for this week’s game. Probably because it doesn’t make sense in the grand scheme of things.
If the Browns lose and the Bengals are eliminated from the postseason, nothing happens for the Browns in the playoffs.
He is still on track for his first division win of the season with the Bengals.
