Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg had a very rough debut in his new role, allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to score on their first four drives of the season opener. It grew to six of the first seven during a non-competitive 34-10 loss.
So, Rutenberg went back to the drawing board. Figuring out his personnel as much as the players were learning him, he’s been able to turn things around quickly.
Changing the scheme significantly over the past couple of weeks, the Browns’ defense did something in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers that no team has done, playing man coverage at the highest rate in the league this season to date.
“The Browns played man coverage on 73.3% of dropbacks vs. the Steelers, per Next Gen Stats, the highest rate by a team this season,” Daniel Oyefusi posted.
The Browns played man coverage on 73.3% of dropbacks vs. the Steelers, per @NextGenStats, the highest rate by a team this season. https://t.co/RbPO1eUHPW
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 2, 2026
According to Oyefusi, “After the Browns’ defense got fried in their Week 1 loss to the Jags and played a lot of zone coverage, the response has been to go back to the basics. Man coverage in the back end and daring the opposing offense to win consistently. Cleveland’s winning that battle more than not.”
On Thursday, after the Browns built a two-touchdown lead, that strategy almost cost them later in the game. With Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers picking on specific matchups, involving nickel cornerback Myles Harden in particular, Pittsburgh was able to score two fourth-quarter touchdowns to tie the game 24-24.
Cleveland’s offense responded to get a 27-24 win on Andre Szmyt’s 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining. The Browns were able to seal the victory with an interception on the next play.
After giving up 234 passing yards in Week 1, when the game was all but over in the third quarter, the Browns allowed just 176 yards to Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in Week 2. The Carolina Panthers posted 262 passing yards in Week 3, when the Browns were able to secure a 21-18 comeback win with another game-ending interception.
Despite giving up a season-high 269 yards to Rodgers, the Browns were able to improve to 3-1 and take over first place in the AFC North, with Rutenberger being much more aggressive in his approach.
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