The Browns defense goes from the NFL's worst to its best when the opening quarter ends: 6.7 yards allowed per play in the first, then 3.8 in the second.

The scoring split is almost as jarring. Cleveland allows 8.1 first-quarter points per game, last in the league, before cutting that to 4.0 in the second, third-best. The defense already has a dominant quarter. It keeps arriving late.

Browns defense struggles against the early run

Head coach Todd Monken identified the problem Wednesday while discussing Cleveland's slow starts: "your inability, at least initially, to start the game to stop the run, right?"

Pittsburgh supplied a punishing example. Cleveland allowed 117 first-quarter rushing yards, including Steelers running back Jaylen Warren's 51-yard third-and-13 trap run.

Before that game, defensive end Jared Verse had described a plan to shrink running lanes by knocking Pittsburgh's offensive line backward. The opening quarter went the other way.

Defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg acknowledged Thursday that an aggressive front can encounter particular schemed runs. "I love that we're an aggressive front," he said.

The run-defense trouble extends beyond opening possessions. Cleveland ranked 24th against the run at 126.9 yards allowed per game, Ashley Bastock reported for Cleveland.com.

Cleveland has already shown the other version

Opponents scored on their opening possessions in six of eight games, Fred Greetham reported for the Orange and Brown Report.

Against Baltimore in October, the Browns allowed 10 points on the opening two possessions, then held the Ravens scoreless on nine straight possessions.

Cleveland allows 103.6 yards in the first quarter and 65.9 in the second.

Cleveland's strongest argument for a better defense is already on the field after the first quarter. The opening 15 minutes are holding it back.

Image: AI-generated image.