Browns defense expects Seahawks to 'do the same thing' as Colts did to create big plays

BEREA — The Seattle Seahawks have a blueprint the Browns know can give their defense fits if they're not ready to play.

How do the Browns know that the Seahawks have that blueprint? Because they saw how it worked last Sunday in Indianapolis.

The Colts had success against the Browns defense in a way not seen over their first five games. It started with a strong running game with Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss that opened things up for quarterback Gardner Minshew II to take shots deep to Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs.

Browns linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. said preparations for the Seahawks starts with rectifying the issues they had with the Colts.

“I think they're going to try to do the same thing," Walker said Wednesday. "They have a great back with Kenneth Walker (III). … Their thing is marry the run and the pass, and they're going to try to make plays down the field with explosive plays just like the Colts did."

The Colts ran for a season-high 168 yards against the Browns, with the former All-Pro Taylor running for 75 yards and a score. Minshew was even more dangerous, both rushing for two touchdowns while throwing for 305 yards and two scores.

Indianapolis' big game has altered where the Browns defense ranks in the league. That may speak more to the pace at which they were playing going into the game .

Still, the Browns remain the No. 1 overall defense in terms of total yards (243.0) and passing yards allowed (149.2). They're still top 10 in the league in points per game allowed (19.2, 10th overall) and rushing yard allowed per game (93.8, seventh in the league).

"We can't have two in a row," safety Grant Delpit said. "We need to get back to our brand of football and do what we do best — attacking man and getting that ball and limiting offenses. That wasn't us. Well, it was us. We put it on tape but you’ve got to get better."

Seattle's offense is between No. 11 and No. 20 in the four major rankings. The Seahawks' highest rank is 11th in points per game (24.0), followed in order by passing yards (224.2, 12th), total yards (330.2, 15th) and rushing yards (106.0, 20th).

The offense, much like the Colts, starts with a standout back. Kenneth Walker III, a second-year pro out of Michigan State, has posted the third-most yards (1,354) though a Seahawks player's first 17 games.

"They give him the ball in various ways, kind of got a little (former Pittsburgh Steelers running back) Le’Veon Bell to him is what I saw in film," Walker said. "Very patient. Very explosive. Can make any cut. Can catch the ball out of the backfield as well. So we got our hands full with that."

That's because, like the Colts with Minshew, Seattle is capable of throwing the ball vertically with quarterback Geno Smith, the league's 2022 Comeback Player of the Year. Smith is completing 68.1% of his passes for 1,391 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions.

Last week against the Arizona Cardinals, Smith finished 18-of-24 passing for 218 yards with two touchdowns, one interception an a 113 passer rating. That was despite not having receiver D.K. Metcalf available due to injury.

Metcalf's playing status remains up in the air, but Smith has thrived getting the ball via run-pass options to Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks' first-round pick out of Ohio State.

That, however, starts much like the Colts offense started.

"The running game, first of all, is great," Delpit said. "They have a good young running back in Walker and they try to marry the run and the pass, a lot of play-action boots and stuff like that. So just looking at them past couple of days, they're a solid offense, they're a solid group, and playing at home Geno plays well, so we've got our hands full."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns defense expects Seahawks to have similar game plan as Colts