Hanford Dixon Sounds Off On A Glaring Browns Problem

Tackling is the most basic skill in football. Every defender learns it in youth leagues, and coaches drill it from the first practice of training camp until the last game of the season. When a defense stops wrapping up and starts missing, everything else falls apart, no matter how good the scheme looks on paper. For one of the most respected defenders in Browns history, that has become the most frustrating part of watching this year’s team.

Hanford Dixon did not hold back on BIGPLAY Cleveland when discussing the Browns’ defense.

“I have just been absolutely appalled by our tackling. Our tackling has been absolutely terrible. I just don’t get it,” Dixon said.

Dixon has been consistent on this subject. Earlier this week, while praising Harold Fannin Jr., he said tackling across the league has become ridiculous and explained that he would simply grab a ball carrier, wrap him up and wait for help to arrive. Now he is aiming that criticism directly at the Browns.

The results over the last few weeks back him up. Cleveland has allowed 501 rushing yards over its last 3 games, and the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints averaged more than 5 yards per carry in those games. Jaylen Warren ran for 143 yards in Pittsburgh, and former Brown Audric Estime finished with 72 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in New Orleans.

Poor tackling turns short gains into long ones. A run that should be stopped for 3 yards becomes a 10-yard gain when the first defender misses, and those plays add up over the course of a game. They also keep drives alive, which tired out the Browns’ defense late in both losses.

There are bright spots. Carson Schwesinger has 89 tackles through 9 games and made 15 stops against the Saints.  But one linebacker cannot clean up every play.

Sunday brings a different kind of test. The Houston Texans do not run the ball well, averaging 87.1 rushing yards per game, but CJ Stroud and his receivers will test the Browns’ tackling after the catch. Cleveland plays more Cover 1 than any team in the league, and in man coverage, a missed tackle after a completion can quickly become a big play.

Dixon set a high standard during his career. If the Browns want to snap their 2-game losing streak, they need to start meeting it.