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Cleveland Browns defense 'failed ourselves' in loss to Washington Commanders
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- Cleveland Browns defense 'failed ourselves' in loss to Washington Commanders
LANDOVER, Md. — Myles Garrett didn't think twice. No, the Browns defensive end said, Sunday's 34-13 loss at the Washington Commanders was not like a version of Groundhog Day.
It was worse.
"No, it definitely felt different," Garrett said. "It was no good in that one, not offense, defense, special teams. We failed ourselves, and we expect more out each and every individual. We have a standard and we didn't live up to it."
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Garrett wasn't about to grab the low-hanging excuse that existed with an offense than remains one of the most anemic in the NFL. Instead, he pointed to everyone, but most importantly the defense, as culprits in extending the Browns ' losing streak to three games.
If Sunday wasn't rock bottom for the Browns, who are now 1-4 with a road game at the Philadelphia Eagles awaiting next Sunday, then it's frightening to think where it could all ultimately go this season. Garrett wasn't open to entertaining those thoughts as he stood some 45 minutes or so after the worse loss by both margin and vibes of the season.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs the ball as Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) defends Sunday in Landover, Maryland.
"No, I mean, definitely wasn't on my bingo card, how we were going to start [the] season, but the standard doesn't change," Garrett said. "The expectations don't change. We've just got to go get it, get out the mud now. We're not starting like we wanted to but we can still end up with what we hope to if we get it all together and we start playing how we know we can play."
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Those words may have been directed at everyone in the Browns locker room. However, it's hard not to see them as directly pointed at Garrett's side of the ball, which has not lived up to last season's top-of-the-league statistical standing.
The Browns may have made Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels sweat a bit on Sunday, but they didn't break him. Instead, it was the rookie who so often broke the Browns.
Daniels completed just 14 of 25 passes for 238 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but he also managed to get off a 66-yard dart to wide receiver Terry McLaurin to convert an early third down and find Dyami Brown for a 41-yard touchdown to open up a 24-3 halftime lead. There were also various runs, including a 34-yard burst to set up another score.
"No, I mean, everything that we saw, we knew," linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah said of Daniels. "Quick, agile, can't let him [run] to his throwing hand, and we didn't execute there, so we got to find ways. Similar offense next week, so got to make sure that we have a chance to correct those things."
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The Browns have no choice but to clean things up, or the season will for all intents and purposes be over before they even play an AFC North opponent. The defense's culpability has been as much about fundamentals as it has been anything else.
Sunday once again featured missed tackles and just enough misalignment to give a quarterback like Daniels the opportunity he needed to turn a loss into a big gain. That included missed sacks by Owusu-Koramoah that turned into the McLaurin completion and then, later, the Daniels run.
"It's the same thing," Owusu-Koramoah said. "I got to wrap up. I got to tackle. I can't be missing open sacks and the plays that are easy plays that actually you have to execute on.
"Those are the good teams. The good teams find ways that when the offense doesn't necessarily execute, you have to make sure that you execute on those things."
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns defense 'failed ourselves' in loss to Commanders
