How good is the Browns defense?

Well, in fact, it’s very good, the 28-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago notwithstanding. There were a lot of mitigating circumstances that day, such as an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way, putting the defense back on the field again and again and again on an unseasonably warm day. The group got gassed.

But is the defense good enough to bail out the Browns on Sunday when they’re back home again, this time facing the San Francisco 49ers?

The 5-0 49ers are rolling. They’re a juggernaut. Their defense is lights out. The Browns, on the other hand, are just average at 2-2, but they are severely lacking at quarterback and are all beat up along the offensive line.

As such, the first blush is it’s a real mismatch, with this having the chance, coupled with the debacle against Baltimore, to give the Browns their two most one-sided defeats, especially at home, in a long, long time.

And it may well play out that way. The only chance the Browns have is for their defense to rise up and take over the game, getting some turnovers to set up their offense with short fields to score points.

Can the defense do that? It has the potential — it’s that good — but it has to turn that into meaningful and game-changing production. If not, then it will almost certainly be a difficult afternoon.

Steve King