The adage that defense wins championships in the NFL has never been more true.
According to data compiled by NFL analyst Warren Sharp, the adage remains accurate for the past decade.
On Twitter earlier this week, Sharp noted that teams scoring first have won nearly two-thirds of their games over the past 10 years.
In his post, Sharp showed that the Browns ranked third in the league over the past two seasons, falling behind only the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles in this category.
teams win 64% of games they score first
…AND lose 36% when allowing opponent to score first over the last 10 yrs
# of games a team scored first last 2 yrs:
23 – BAL, PHI
22 – CLE, SF, DET
21 – DAL
20 – LAC
19 – KC, JAX, LV
18 – CHI, CIN, MIA
17 – BUF, TB, PIT, TEN, DEN
16 -…— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 7, 2024
Cleveland is in a three-way tie with San Francisco and Detroit for the third spot as each of these three teams has scored first in 22 games over the past two seasons.
The Browns have won 18 games in those two years, finishing last season with an 11-6 record.
The top six teams that scored first all made the playoffs last season.
Cleveland finished 10th in the NFL in scoring last year, averaging over 23 points per contest during the regular season.
That’s despite a rash of injuries to both the offensive line and the studs these linemen protect, forcing the Browns to play reserves for a large portion of the season.
The Browns bolstered their offense during the offseason with the addition of Jerry Jeudy, a wide receiver the team acquired via a trade with the Denver Broncos.
Cleveland also added depth to their offensive line with the addition of rookie Zak Zinter via the draft.
The Browns open their 2024 regular season in a little over a week as the team reports to training camp on July 23.
NEXT: Deshaun Watson Shares Bold Statement Ahead Of 2024 Season
