One of the biggest surprises from the disappointing season opener for the Cleveland Browns was the poor performance from second-year cornerback Denzel Ward.
After a stellar rookie season that earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl, Ward was picked apart by the Tennessee Titans passing attack during Week 1, allowing a pair of big plays to rookie A.J. Brown, while also drawing a pair of holding penalties.
Brown used his size to overpower Ward after making his receptions and break free from Ward’s attempts to bring him down. Ward’s struggles to tackle Brown created flashbacks to when former Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams criticized Ward’s tackling multiple times in 2018.