LONDON — After the Browns’ embarrassing 34-10 loss to the Lions last week, Grant Delpit admitted that it’s hard for the top-ranked defense not to get frustrated.
Afterall, it surrendered only 10 points in its own right, while 17 came from Joe Flacco’s three turnovers, and seven came from the punt return for a touchdown.
Besides, the Browns only got to 10 points themselves because Denzel Ward picked off a Jared Goff pass that led to a field goal.
It’s been like that all season long: a championship-caliber defense — ranked No. 1 in total yards allowed and No. 1 against the run — and it’s ugly stepsister offense.
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The defenders have all been mature about it, and they’ve all said the right things about getting the ball back and whatnot, but it’s been tough to lock it down time and again, only to have the offense give them a tiny patch of grass to work on. With eight turnovers by Flacco this season — albeit certainly not all his fault — the defense has had to work overtime for that No. 1 ranking, and the Browns’ lone victory against three losses.
Against that backdrop, Delpit, for one, is buoyed by the switch to rookie Dillon Gabriel for Sunday’s game here against the 2-2 Vikings.
“It’s frustrating in the moment because everybody wants to win,” Delpit said Thursday at the of the three-giveaway game. “All you can control is getting them back the ball. So that said, winters don’t last forever. The sun’s going to come back, and with this change at quarterback, we’ve got a good thing to rally behind and really just keep doing what we’ve been doing on defense and helping the young rook out.”
Delpit agreed with Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees that the team has fed off Gabriel’s poise and confidence this season.
“We’ve got full confidence in Dillon,” Delpit said. “I think he’s done a good job of staying ready, staying prepared, and it’s a good opportunity for him to really show his craft and really prove people wrong. Prove people right that supported him, prove himself right. He might not have the height (5-11), he’s a lefty, it’s different. So going out that first game international, man, there’s not a better way he could do it.”
Delpit, who’s faced Gabriel on a regular basis during training camp and during the season when he runs the scout team, has been struck by his efficiency.
“I think it’s just the poise of the rookie class,” he said. “Out of all our rookies right now, it’s a high standard in that rookie class man, from Harold (Fannin Jr.) to Q-Judd (Quinshon Judkins) to D-Samp (Dylan Sampson), Carson (Schwesinger), the general of the defense. Right now those guys have been rolling, so hopefully Dillon goes in there and takes the head of it, of the rookie class and really leads those guys.”
Rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger is also eager to watch his draft classmate roll.
“I’m excited for him,” he said. “I’m excited to see what he can do. I know he’s been preparing. I’m just really excited to see what happens.”
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz acknowledged the defense’s role in helping a rookie quarterback succeed.
“No. 1, we have to take care of our business, and we have to try to be the best versions of ourselves and not worry about all those other things,” he said. “But there is a responsibility that goes along with starting a rookie quarterback. It’s up to us to get stops and keep them in position so that he doesn’t feel the need to do too much.
“Last thing you want to do with a rookie quarterback is put him in a situation where he’s got to score every time he has the ball. Then you’re going to see mistakes. So, if we do our part, then that can help. But our part is trying to be us, trying to get stops, trying to take the ball away, tackle fundamentals, all those things.”
With Gabriel saying he hope to bring the energy and juice on Sunday, Schwartz knows how that can help his defense.
“Energy is contagious and that’s one of the things that we preach,” he said. “We preach physical toughness, physicality on defense. We preach effort and we preach energy and enthusiasm and those kinds of things. So yeah, certainly that stuff’s contagious. When we do a good job of that, it can be contagious to the offense, and I would expect the same, it would be a lift for us too.”
It’s Delpit’s sentiment exactly.