Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz characterized Packers RB Josh Jacobs as an old-school, full-time running back.
Through the first two games of the season, Jacobs has been the lead back for the Packers. He has run for 150 yards on 42 carries and found the end zone twice so far this season. The Browns' top-ranked run defense, allowing 45.5 rushing yards a game, will present a challenge for Jacobs.
"He breaks a lot of tackles. Really strong. Great contact balance and really good vision," Schwartz said. "He presses the hole as good as any running back, if not better than any running back in the league. We have to be really physical at the line, and we can't peek out of gaps because he can find those holes and find creases that way."
In Week 1 and Week 2, the Browns' run defense held Bengals RB Chase Brown and Ravens RB Derrick Henry to 43 and 23 rushing yards, respectively. Cleveland limited the effectiveness of both runners by not allowing either to create explosive plays on the ground. Both Brown and Henry's longest runs were eight yards, but both players' average yards per run was 2.1, showcasing the Browns' defense stopping them near the line of scrimmage.
A week after facing one of the most physical backs in the NFL in Henry, the Browns face another physical back in Jacobs. Regardless of who is playing on the other team, LB Carson Schwesinger said the Browns are aiming to be the most physical team on the field.
"He's a hard runner," Schwesinger said." We're going to have to be physical and that's what we plan to do. When you go into these games, you know it's going to be a physical game."
Browse photos of the Cleveland Browns practicing at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus as they prepare for their Week 3 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Running back Raheim Sanders (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Joshua Miles (66) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Joshua Miles (66) and Offensive tackle Tyre Phillip (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Joshua Miles (66) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Joshua Miles (66) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Running back Ahmani Marshall (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Assistant Offensive Line Coach Ben Wilkerson during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle KT Leveston (72) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Tyre Phillip (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Offensive guard Zak Zinter (70) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Cornerback Tre Avery (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Safety Christopher Edmonds (41) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Cornerback Tre Avery (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Running back Ahmani Marshall (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Joshua Miles (66) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Defensive back Jarrick Bernard-Converse (20) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
A helmet during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Tyre Phillip (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (16) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Running back Ahmani Marshall (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle KT Leveston (72) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Cornerback Tre Avery (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Offensive tackle Tyre Phillip (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Wide receiver Malachi Corley (83) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Running back Ahmani Marshall (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Defensive end Julian Okwara (53) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Wide receiver Kaden Davis (89) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Offensive tackle Tyre Phillip (69) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 17, 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
Running back Quinshon Judkins (10) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 18, 2025.
By being the most physical team, the Browns have limited the scoring impact of running backs. Through two games, Cleveland has allowed one rushing touchdown this season, a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Brown on the Bengals' first possession. For Jacobs, he has reached the end zone in both games for the Packers this season and has scored a rushing touchdown in 11 consecutive games, dating back to the 2024 season.
S Grant Delpit said the Browns plan to break Jacobs' touchdown streak. In order to break the streak and stop Jacobs from using his physicality to his advantage to pick up extra yards, Schwesinger said whoever makes contact with him first needs to hold him up. Holding Jacobs up will give the Browns the opportunity to gang tackle him and bring him down at the spot rather than give him yards after contact.
Against Jacobs, stopping him at the point of attack is crucial in stopping the Packers' offense as a whole. Through two games, the Packers have used the run game to begin drives to set up QB Jordan Love and open up the passing game. Once Jacobs and the rushing attack can open up the opposition's defense, the Packers turn to Love. They have used play action on early downs to catch the defense off guard and throw the ball deep to try and create explosive plays.
The Packers have completed three of their nine attempted passes that have traveled 20 yards downfield, with Love throwing the completions on either first or second down. When Love throws less than 20 yards, he completes 72.7 percent of his passes.
"They use the run to set up that stuff. It doesn't work if you're not a good running offense, and it goes back to Jacobs," Schwartz said. "Their run creates their opportunities to push the ball down the field on those first and second downs, and that's just sort of built into the way they do things."
The Browns on paper are set to contain the Packers, having the third-best passing defense in the NFL in addition to their run defense. However, despite their top defense, going into Week 3 the Browns are without a win. Meanwhile, the Packers' offense and Jacobs are going into the game undefeated, giving the Browns something to prove.
If the Browns can keep Jacobs in control and limit his impact on the game and Green Bay's offense, Cleveland will have the chance to control the game and pick up their first win of the season.
"We have to go out there and prove it. I feel like we've put some good stuff out there," Delpit said.
