Browns still spinning wheels at QB, but bringing formidable defense to Detroit in first meeting since brutal 2021 matchup

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Allen Park — Despite being the closest city with an NFL team to Detroit, the Lions don’t see a lot of the Cleveland Browns due to the Lake Erie neighbors playing in the AFC.

That statement merits clarity. The foes have been pitted against each other plenty in the preseason, even briefly having a guady, college-rivalry style trophy attached to the “Great Lakes Classic.” But in a game that actually meant something, the Lions last squared off with the Browns in 2021.

That was coach Dan Campbell’s first season, quarterback Jared Goff was out with an oblique injury, and the fanbase could have justifiably landed on the injured list after being compelled to wash their eyes with bleach after watching backup Tim Boyle complete 15-of-23 for 77 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions in a 13-10 loss that dropped the team to 0-9-1 on the season.

Before righting the ship under Campbell, the Lions had played a lot of bad football, and through it all, that game was among the toughest to consume.

That matchup aside, those Browns were playing some decent ball. Under the then-reigning coach of the year, Kevin Stefanski, they had advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs the previous season. And with the ugly victory over the hapless Lions, they moved to 7-5

Unfortunately, it’s mostly been downhill from there for the Browns. They lost four of the next five and missed a return to the postseason in 2021. The following offseason, they made the bold, and in hindsight, stupid decision to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was inactive the entirety of the previous campaign as he faced a slew of sexual misconduct allegations.

The price to add Watson was exorbitant. The Browns sent three first-round picks to the Houston Texans, then awarded the quarterback an unprecedented, fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal.

The return on that investment for the Browns? An 11-game suspension to begin Watson’s tenure with the franchise, a 9-10 record in games he’s started, and a less-than-stellar 80.7 passer rating in those contests.

Currently, Watson is out with an Achilles injury, which required a second surgery in January after he re-ruptured it while rehabbing, casting doubt on whether he’ll ever play for the Browns again.

Meanwhile, the man they traded away to make room for Watson, former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield, has enjoyed a career resurgence in Tampa Bay, where he’s earned Pro Bowl honors while leading the Buccaneers to the playoffs each of the past two seasons.

Since the Browns last played the Lions, they’ve started 11 different quarterbacks. They’re currently running with 40-year-old Joe Flacco, who experienced his own career resurgence filling in for an injured Watson in 2023, helping lead Cleveland to a playoff berth that season. However, he’s unquestionably little more than a placeholder for whoever is next, with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders waiting in the wings.

Among the 22 starters from that 2021 matchup with Detroit, only seven remain on the roster. That group consists of two guards, Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio, tight end David Njoku, and four defensive players, All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett and a trio of defensive backs, Denzel Ward, Greg Newsom II and Grant Delpit.

You’ll hardly recognize the roster that comes to Ford Field on Sunday. As noted, Flacco will be taking the snaps. His arsenal is comprised of rookie Quinshon Judkins as the lead back and Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Isaiah Bond and Jamari Thrash at receiver. That’s a ton of speed among the pass-catchers.

Additionally, the team has partnered Njoku with versatile rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., granting him more than 40 snaps each of the first three games.

Defensively, the returning group in the secondary is rounded out by 2023 undrafted rookie Ronnie Hickman. The linebacker corps has been reworked with rookie Carson Schwesinger leading the way. He’s paired with former University of Michigan standout Devin Bush Jr., who joined the Browns last season.

Up front, Garrett is complemented on the opposite edge by 2023 fourth-round pick Isaiah McGuire, who replaces Za’Darius Smith after he was traded to the Lions at the deadline last year. McGuire is off to a strong start to his third season, tallying 11 pressures and a sack through three games.

On the inside, it’s another former Wolverine. Cleveland used its first-round pick this offseason, No. 5 overall, on Mason Graham. He had a big impact in last Sunday’s win over Green Bay, registering four QB pressures. He works alongside Maliek Collins, a free-agent addition who is a credible interior pass rusher, recording 5.0 sacks each of the past two seasons and already registering 1.5 this year.

The defense, led by former Lions coach Jim Schwartz since 2023, is formidable. Factoring out points scored by opponents on turnovers and special teams, the unit is allowing just 20.3 per through three games. They held the Packers to just 230 yards and 10 points in Sunday’s upset.

“This defense is outstanding for Cleveland, man,” Campbell said on Tuesday. “We’re going to have our hands full here. Short week, but we’ll be ready to go.”