The Guy We Saw at Notre Dame
Against the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener, cornerback Jacob Parrish went down in the second quarter and did not return to action. On Monday, Todd Bowles confirmed that Parrish is dealing with a back sprain and the X-rays and MRI came back negative. In Week One, Benjamin Morrison replaced Parrish in the lineup and produced a stellar performance against one of the most dynamic receiving arsenals in the NFL, featuring Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. Morrison finished the game with four tackles (one for loss) and did not allow a single reception in coverage. The Bucs' second-round pick in 2025 helped set the tone in the secondary and held his own. Morrison played a pivotal role in limiting yards after catch, blowing up several plays in the flat with sound technique in the open field. For Notre Dame, he primarily lined up as an outside cornerback in their 4-2-5 base scheme, and he occasionally moved inside to the slot. He effectively mirrors receivers and made a smooth transition to the Fighting Irish's utilization of press-man. Morrison is patient in off coverage and has recovery speed to close separation. He attacked the catch point against the Bengals and Bowles saw the same talent that jumped off the Notre Dame film.
"It was great because he was healthy and it was great to see him play and not think about it," described Bowles. "It was the guy that we saw coming out of college and he did some really good things on Sunday."
Overview of Browns' Defense
Jim Schwartz resigned and the franchise hired Mike Rutenberg to take over as defensive coordinator in 2026. The organization saw the departure of Myles Garrett but the Browns have proven players at various levels, including Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit. The Browns' second-round pick in 2025, Carson Schwesinger, earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, finishing with 156 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions in 16 games played in Schwartz's system in 2025. The club acquired Jared Verse in the Garrett trade, and he is the new anchor in the team's pass rush. Last season, Cleveland fielded the fourth-best defense in the NFL and Rutenberg takes over adding in his own coverage disguises. His background is in the second and third levels of the defense, with players in his system playing both man and zone blitz coverage. Schwartz's units ran man-to-man at a high efficiency and Rutenberg comes from the Robert Saleh tree, likely mixing in more zone coverage (cover 3 and 4) with defenders guarding the deep areas of the field, split into equal thirds or quarters.
"I think Rutey (Rutenberg), his whole history, is from the Saleh tree and basically the four-down Jet front, quarters, Cover 3 and kind of making it all look the same but it is effort and guys flying to the football and trying to make plays," said Mayfield. "It is a fundamentally sound scheme and guys just execute with effort, and we have talked and a bunch of guys have played in that system and have familiarity with what he likes to do but it is also different. It is different when you have a guy going to a different building and personnel with blitz packages and all of that so it is hard to go off of one game of tape so you are kind of plug and play and pick things from Atlanta, from his past and just trying to see what it is but also, for us it goes back to a Week One mindset where we will have to adjust and adapt to what they are doing."
Linebacker Play
Week Two will pit two sensational young linebackers against one another on opposing forces with Buccaneers' Josiah Trotter and Browns' Schwesinger. Trotter put the NFL on notice against the Bengals with a pick-six in the season opener, along with a sack and10 tackles (two for loss). He became the first player in NFL history to record a pick-six and a sack in his NFL debut. Trotter showcased his downhill trigger, range and elite instincts for the Buccaneers. For the Browns, Schwesinger possesses an understanding of blocking schemes and has superb short-area agility. He quickly deciphers play-action and anticipates run-lane development. Both have elevated their respective defenses and will look to make their mark on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
"I think everybody in the NFL saw last year what a smart player he is for a rookie to be able to adapt and play and read out of plays at a high level and it is kind of what you saw from Trot [Josiah Trotter] in Week One, just that high football IQ to trust their instincts, shoot the gap, make aggressive plays but also just fundamentally sound," said Baker Mayfield. "They are not going to be out of position or have bad technique, so he is a great player that is just going to continue to get better and better."
