Brown’s defense faltered after the opening drive

The Browns defense also got off to a suffocating start as they forced the Raiders into a three-and-out situation on their opening drive. However, after that drive, the defense faltered in a number of ways.

After holding the Raiders scoreless in the first quarter, Las Vegas rallied and scored 20 unanswered points starting in the second quarter.

The run defense struggled as the game progressed, giving up a handful of explosive runs that helped the Raiders get down the field. Through the first three weeks of the season, the Raiders averaged just 51 rushing yards per game, ranking 32nd.^i.e in the competition. They finished Sunday with 152 total net rushing yards, the most in a single game by the Raiders since Week 16 of the 2023 season.

DE Myles Garrett said the majority of their struggles on defense have been tackling.

“I feel like we’ve had too many missed tackles,” Garrett said. “We’ve just got to wrap things up. A lot of guys are going in with their shoulder, trying to get the big hit. It ended up with a forced fumble down the stretch, but for the majority of the plays, the second guy has to be the one who forces the ball out. The first man must wrap up and slow the runner or stop his momentum.

The defense recorded a necessary takeaway when S. Rodney McLeod Jr. recovered a fumble and ran the ball 25 yards for the touchdown. It was the first time the Browns had scored since the first quarter of the game. The fumble recovery left the Browns trailing by just four points early in the fourth quarter.

“We really had to go the extra mile and get takeout,” Garrett said. ‘That’s what we were calling for in the group. And we answered the bell.”