The Week 10 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens pits the teams with the top two defenses against each other.
But Browns safety Grant Delpit doesn’t think there’s a debate about which team has the best defense in the NFL. Ahead of the AFC North clash with the 7-2 Ravens, Delpit anointed his unit as the cream of the crop.
“In this building, I believe that we’re the best defense in the league,” Delpit told reporters Thursday. “So we gotta go out there and show it at the end of the day. You can’t just say it and not back it up.”
Who’s got the best defense in the #NFL as the #Browns #Ravens clash? Grant Delpit tells you: pic.twitter.com/YoppSM9q11
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) November 9, 2023
The stats back that up, too. Cleveland has allowed the fewest yards and the second-fewest points in the league through the first nine games of the season, and the Browns’ defensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value above replacement) is No. 1 in the NFL and No. 7 all-time through the first half of the year, per FTN. They’ve also allowed the fewest total passing yards and the seventh-fewest rushing yards and are tied for ninth with 13 takeaways.
But the Ravens are right on the Browns’ heels. Baltimore has allowed the second-fewest yards but the fewest points and ranks second in defensive DVOA. The Ravens have also allowed the fewest yards per play through nine weeks but are tied with the Browns with 13 takeaways. Baltimore also ranks fifth in passing yards allowed and 10th in rushing yards allowed.
No matter which way you slice it, Week 10 should be a tough matchup for either team’s offenses.
