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The Detroit Lions’ ground attack has been the talk of the week leading into Sunday’s showdown at Ford Field. Offensive coordinator John Morton made headlines when he said he didn’t think the Cleveland Browns had “seen a run game like ours yet.”
On Thursday, Browns defensive coordinator, and former Lions head coach, Jim Schwartz was asked about Morton’s remarks. His response? A shrug and a matter-of-fact breakdown of the challenge.
“Um, I mean, we faced some good running offenses,” Schwartz said as quoted by the Detroit Free Press. “Green Bay was running the ball really well, so was Baltimore. Cincinnati is more of a passing offense. So, yeah, 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 53⅓ (yards), particularly with Gibbs. And then there’s a lot of passes that are just extension of the run game.”
Detroit’s Ground Game Meets Cleveland’s Wall
Morton wasn’t bluffing when he touted the Lions’ rushing attack. Detroit currently ranks fourth in the NFL at 149 yards per game, and their one-two punch of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery just gashed the Ravens for 224 yards and four touchdowns. Morton emphasized patience and sticking with the run, something the Lions leaned on in Baltimore.
But Schwartz has reason to be confident, too. His Browns defense has been flat-out stingy, allowing a league-low 57.3 rushing yards per game. No opponent has cracked 90 yards on the ground against them yet.
That includes the Packers (81 yards), Ravens (45 yards), and Bengals (46 yards).
Old Friends, New Battle
For Lions fans, there’s an added wrinkle here. Schwartz coached Detroit for five seasons from 2009 to 2013, helping draft cornerstones like Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh. Now, he’ll be tasked with slowing down his former team’s new identity, a bruising, balanced attack behind one of the league’s best offensive lines.
Both Morton and Schwartz are leaning into their strengths. Morton is betting on his backs and offensive line to eventually wear Cleveland down. Schwartz is pointing to discipline, gap integrity, and preventing Gibbs from breaking big plays in space.
Something has to give.
The Bottom Line
This matchup feels like one of those “irresistible force vs. immovable object” storylines. The Lions want to pound the ball and set the tone. The Browns believe they can shut down anybody’s run game, no matter how dynamic.
Morton vs. Schwartz may not be the headline on the scoreboard, but come Sunday afternoon at Ford Field, it could decide who walks out a winner.
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Don Drysdale
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