The Cleveland Browns bounced back in a big way in Week 2.
Their defense came to play and showed a lot more pride after getting manhandled in the season opener.
Notably, plenty of that had to do with Denzel Ward.
The star cornerback was an absolute nightmare against the Jacksonville Jaguars, making Trevor Lawrence look bad on every throw.
As pointed out by PFF on X, Ward has been on a tear to start the season.
Denzel Ward this season:
🟠 4 forced incompletions (T-1st)
🟤 36.4% FINC rate (1st)One of just two CBs with a FINC rate above 25% (min. 10 targets) pic.twitter.com/exR3ZvAbdO
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) September 17, 2024
He’s currently tied first with four forced incompletions, and he’s also leading the league with a 36.4% forced incompletion rate.
He’s just one of two cornerbacks with a forced incompletion rate above 25% (minimum 10 targets).
Ward almost picked off two passes in the season opener, and he almost got a pick against the Jaguars as well.
On the downside, injuries will always be a concern with him.
He’s currently dealing with a shoulder injury, and head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that he was limited in practice.
This is a major concern if you consider the fact that he missed two games last season with a shoulder injury as well, and he does have a tendency to miss time.
He’s never played a full season since he entered the league.
Fortunately for the team, they still have Greg Newsome II out there in the case that Ward is forced to miss time with this injury.
Hopefully, that won’t be the case, as he’s been perhaps their best defensive player through the first two weeks of the season.
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