The Browns' defense views the football as oxygen. And they need to force turnovers to breathe.
That mentality has resonated throughout the entire unit, from the defensive line to the secondary. With that, when Cleveland's defense takes the field against the Jaguars in Week 1, forcing turnovers will be one of its top priorities.
"You can see that it's on guys' minds," LB Carson Schwesinger said. "That's what happens when you preach that type of mindset. It gets drilled in and when guys are out there it doesn't matter, maybe you miss your assignment (and) all this, but at the end of the day, at the end of the play, all you got to be thinking about is the ball."
Forcing turnovers is critical to success for a defense in the NFL. That is why the Browns are building on their turnover-focused mindset that they have established over the past three years. In 2023, the Browns tied for the fifth most total takeaways in the NFL, helping lead them to an 11-6 record. But in 2024 and 2025, they were tied for 30th and 22nd in total takeaways.
The Browns' defense and coaching staff have a firm understanding of the impact that forcing turnovers has on the outcomes of games, which is one of the reasons they are continuing to establish their attack-the-ball mindset.
"One of the keys to winning in this league is taking the ball away," defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg said on Aug 11. "But that fits into our style of defense, the ball is oxygen. Our intention is, no matter what, we want to finish on the ball, celebrate the interceptions, and everything we do is about finishing on the ball to help this team win."
During training camp and the preseason, the Browns' focus on takeaways was on display. The defense recorded an interception in at least nine of the 19 practices during camp, including seven days with multiple picks. During the preseason, the Browns tallied one interception against the Bears and two against the Patriots. Cleveland also forced fumbles in at least three training camp practices, including one during its joint practice against the Bills.
One the reasons for the number of turnovers, along with the defensive mentality, has been the increase in secondary disguises implemented by Rutenberg. From his time as the defensive pass game coordinator with the Falcons last year, Rutenberg has brought expertise in secondary alignment and coverages.
"(Rutenberg) really wants to make it hard on quarterbacks, and when it comes to the back-end piece and disguise, he's a savant — he's really good in that area," pass game coordinator Ephraim Banda said on Aug 4. "His ability to sit there and say, 'Okay, does this look like that?' And if it doesn't, a really good 20-year quarterback who gets paid $240 million will say, 'Yep, that's not it,' or 'Yep, I'm not too sure.' So, he does a great job in that area, and he's really pressed us. It's something we've had to work really hard on."
The secondary isn't the only reason for the number of takeaways, though. All three levels of the defense play a part in forcing turnovers for the Browns. When the three levels work together and are on the same page, the Browns' defense can showcase their turnover-focused identity.
"We say rush and coverage work together, so it's a combination of one plus one equaling three," defensive backs coach and pass game specialist Brandon Lynch said on Aug. 6. "Our rush getting home, our linebackers doing exactly what they need to do, our safeties getting us in the right coverages, and then our corners executing. So, when you think about just schematically the 12 interceptions, it's really everybody doing their job and working on the precision and being precise."
While the Browns' defense is focused on executing the fundamentals and understanding their roles on the field, each snap comes down to attacking and finding the football.
"Every play obviously you have your assignment, your alignment, your technique; but at the end of the day, you got to be thinking about the ball and going and getting the ball," Schwesinger said. "And that stems from that mindset is (about) all those turnovers."
Ahead of the regular season, that attacking mindset and needing to turn over the ball has continued to be a major part of the Browns' defensive identity. With the secondary disguises and the 'ball is oxygen' mentality, the Browns' defense is focusing on forcing turnovers. They want to be amongst the NFL's best when it comes to taking the football away from opposing offenses.
"It just fits in with our style, as long as we're attacking the ball and treating the ball like it's oxygen, like we need it to live, we're doing the right thing," Rutenberg said.
