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Cleveland Browns confident they can have dominant defense in 2018

The Cleveland Browns are confident they can have a dominant defense in 2018.
Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

CLEVELAND -- To a man, Cleveland Browns defenders have talked all throughout training camp of the potential they see from their side of the football, and the players put that promise into production early in Friday night’s 19-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns’ first-team defense forced Buffalo’s starting offense into four consecutive three-and-outs to start the game.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah said. “We have the mindset that we have to dominate games, so we have to go out there and be the best that we can be.

“We had the mindset of stopping the run. First and foremost, we have to rush the passer. That’s something that we didn’t do such a good job of last year and that was the emphasis this year. I just felt like we did a good job stopping them.”

Safety Damarious Randall is confident that performances like the Browns posted against Buffalo’s first-team offense that will help build chemistry within the locker room.

“It seemed like our guys felt a little more comfortable, and it’s just another week of getting to play with each other and starting to jell together,” Randall said. “Our guys are starting to create their own swagger out there.

“Just being out there on the field, the other team feels it and everybody knows it. This isn’t the same team that was here in the past. Everybody knows that, and we are just looking forward to getting to September 9 healthy so we can show the world what the Cleveland Browns are really made of.”

Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (65) tackles Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Browns coach Hue Jackson was so excited that he could not “wait to watch the tape” because he “could just feel” the impact second-year defensive end Myles Garrett had on the game.

“I thought the communication was really good with the defensive players within the first unit,” Jackson said. “That part was really good.”

Credit: Ken Blaze
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson walks away from the team as the players huddle before the game against the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

Having worked against the defense for three weeks in training camp, quarterback Tyrod Taylor thought “it was great” to see the Browns make life difficult on another offense.

“Those guys pose a challenge for us on the offensive side every day at practice,” Taylor said. “To see those guys go out and create problems for the other team is definitely encouraging. Look forward to them getting better each and every week.

“Of course, there is talent across the board. We have great defensive schemes that the guys are getting comfortable with and going out and playing fast. You can see those guys coming into their own on that side of the ball. It is encouraging watching those guys go out and play as well as they did.”

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