As a huge Cleveland Browns fan, I love Jim Schwartz, and after this past Sunday, my appreciation for his coaching brilliance is soaring with another dominant showing in the books.
Way back in January, when Cleveland announced the hiring of Schwartz, I was unaware of the significance of the signing. I knew he had previous successes, but I was more relieved that Joe Woods was finally gone.
I don’t have anything against Woods, but he was awful at utilizing talent. Andrew Berry, Cleveland’s general manager, spent too much time, money and draft capital assembling this defense for it to continue to be wrongfully treated. The hiring of Jim Schwartz was exciting, as it finally seemed like the Browns were giving a talented coach a full bag of resources.
However, as a Cleveland fan through and through, I was skeptical because fortunate things rarely happen to the Browns. Even hearing things from off-season training, I didn’t get my hopes up, sensing something was bound to fall apart. But, I am so happy to say nothing did, and it is so relieving to see a decision be so positive for the Cleveland Browns.
The changes Schwartz has implemented are nothing short of astonishing, from getting the most out of a talented roster to the mesmerizing statistical leaps. After three weeks of play, the Browns have given up the fewest passing yards, the second-fewest rushing yards and the least amount of points conceded. While the stats help decipher the dominance, how the team has played has been nothing short of spectacular.
Schwartz gets everyone going, not just the household names. From top to bottom, every player is doing their part to make this defense as successful as it has been so far.
I finally realized the Jim Schwartz effect during the week one masterclass against Cincinnati. Admittedly, I was nervous heading into the opening week, but Schwartz’s group was suffocating from start to finish.
Even after a week two loss, I was still impressed with how the defense performed. Then, week three came around. I’m unsure if it was more or less impressive than the week one result, but it was equally dominant. The Schwartz-led defense shut down a sputtering Titans offense in every imaginable way.
After three weeks of football, I can confidently say I trust the Cleveland Browns defense to win games for the first time I can remember.
Schwartz has built a juggernaut that every opposing offense will struggle with attacking. And if all goes well – and it’s still a big if – I could see this defense actually being the reason the Browns make the playoffs and not the reason they miss the postseason.
Andrew Bowlby is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts about the column? Let Andrew know by tweeting him @andrew_bowlby.
