The Cleveland Browns have one of the top defenses in the NFL this season as they have shown the ability to stifle opposing teams' passing and run game through three games.
Cleveland rank fourth in passing yards allowed (441) and first in rushing yards allowed (172), per Pro Football Reference. Moreover, the Browns' defense can get after the quarterback as they are tied for second in sacks (11).
Coming off their Week 3 upset of the Green Bay Packers, the Browns now head to Detroit for a matchup with the Lions. The spotlight isn't just on the field, though — there's already a bit of tension brewing between the coordinators who'll be squaring off when Detroit's offense takes the field.
Tension brewing between Browns and Lions
Lions offensive coordinator John Morton didn't hold back when talking about Cleveland's defense, saying, "I don't think they've seen a running game like ours yet."
The Lions rank fourth in the league, averaging 149.0 rushing yards per game. They'll face a tough test against Cleveland, which leads the league by allowing just 57.3 rushing yards per game.
On Thursday, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz pushed back against that claim made by the Lions' Morton.
MORE BROWNS NEWS: Browns made 'arguably the worst trade in NFL history'
"I mean, we've faced some good running offenses," Schwartz told reporters (h/t Pro Football Talk). "I mean, Green Bay was running the ball really well, so was Baltimore. Cincinnati was more of a pass-game offense. So, you know, it's one of the major things we have to do is stop the run.
"Two different running backs, you got to protect your edges. You got to defend all 53 and [a] third [yards], particularly with [Jahmyr] Gibbs. And then there's a lot of passes that are just extensions of the run game.
"A lot of screen game, a lot of quicks. Even the checkdowns are sort of an extension of the run game. So, our ability to play run defense, our ability to tackle in the open field, you know, that's a major part of this game plan going forward."