CLEVELAND: Outside the team’s Berea headquarters, the Browns defense is buried in negativity.
As a winless preseason concluded with a 21-7 loss to the Chicago Bears Thursday night in FirstEnergy Stadium, the Browns gave up 92 points in four games, 59 in the first half. Opponents averaged 374.3 yards, 150.5 rushing, converted 47.8 percent on third down and completed 61.2 percent passing.
The starting unit for the Sept. 11 regular-season opener in Philadelphia will be heavy on youth. No one on defense has more than five years’ experience except for cornerbacks Tramon Williams (starting his 12th season) and Joe Haden (beginning his sixth) and safety Rahim Moore (also his sixth).