No. 1: Excellent Defensive Play
Over the past two years, the Browns have had the first pick in the NFL Draft. Since the Browns have not experienced any type of success over the last few seasons, they’ve been able to stockpile talent on their roster by this means.
This talent has shown itself mostly on the defensive side of the ball. Cleveland’s defense has multiple first-round draft picks starting for them on defense. Players like EDGE Myles Garrett, cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Jabrill Peppers were all drafted in the first round by the Browns in their respective drafts.
Garrett and Ward have shown flashes that they can become stars in the near future. In Week 1, Ward had two interceptions and added three pass deflections. Meanwhile, Garrett was terrific versus a good Steelers offensive line, sacking Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice and also forcing two fumbles.
In the first two weeks, the Browns defense is only allowing an average of 21 points per game. Now, it’s important to look at who they played in these first two weeks. Both the Steelers and Saints were top-five offenses last year who averaged close to 30 points a game.
After two weeks, Cleveland leads the league in takeaways and in turnover margin. If the Browns can continue forcing these turnovers, they will always be in the game with a chance to win.