Despite all of their struggles and dysfunction, the Cleveland Browns have been able to field one of the best defenses in the NFL over the past few seasons. Sacks record-holder Myles Garrett and former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz have left this year’s team quite a legacy to live up to.
The Browns ranked fourth in the NFL in total defense last season, just 19 yards from third. Much of that has to do with their impressive pass defense, which was led by Garrett up front and Pro Bowl regular Denzel Ward in the secondary.
Entering the 2026 season, the Browns could make NFL history on defense, with the record for preventing a 300-yard passer well within reach.
“Milestone to watch: The Browns’ defense breaking the record for consecutive games without allowing a 300-yard passer. The Browns have gone 45 straight games without allowing a quarterback to throw for 300 yards, the longest streak in the NFL since the Colts went 52 games from 2005 to 2008. The defense, though, will have to achieve the milestone without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and with a new coordinator in Mike Rutenberg,” Daniel Oyefusi wrote.
Cleveland’s streak dates back to Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season, when Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew threw for 305 yards in the Browns’ 39-38 shootout win. Since then, the closest any team has come is when the Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix passed for 294 yards in Week 13 of the 2024 season, a game Cleveland lost 41-32.
Last season, no quarterback passed for more than 252 yards against the Browns’ defense. It was undoubtedly helped by the fact that Garrett was able to set the NFL single-season record with 23.0 sacks.
It also should be mentioned that, because the Browns have won just eight games combined in the past two seasons, they have not been playing with the lead very much. That means their opponents do not have to rely on their passing attack late in games to engineer some kind of comeback.
This year, the streak could be in jeopardy right away. The Browns visit the Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence in Week 1. Then, in Week 2, Cleveland visits the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Baker Mayfield would surely like nothing better than ending his former team’s bid for history.
If Cleveland is able to survive those two tough road games with the streak intact, it should have a good chance to set the mark with games against the Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, the Steelers again, and the New Orleans Saints standing between them and the record.
NEXT: Browns Are Signing Former Dolphins First-Round Pick
