Browns are just second NFL team in 59 years to pull off this rare feat through two weeks but still start 0-2

The Cleveland Browns weren't really expected to be a contender this year, so no one out there is really surprised by the fact that they've gotten off to an 0-2 start, but you might be surprised to hear that they statistically have the best defense in the NFL. 

Through two weeks, the Browns have surrendered just 383 total yards, which puts them in rare company: They're the first team in 31 years to start 0-2 despite giving up less than 400 total yards through the first two games. As a matter of fact, since the Super Bowl era started back in 1966, there have only been two teams that have given up 400 total yards or less in the first two weeks and lost both games: 

• 1994 Cardinals: 358 yards
• 2025 Browns: 383 yards

That's two teams in 59 years. That might be the most Browns' stat ever. 

The Browns are surrendering just 191.5 yards per game, which ranks first overall in the  NFL. To put that in perspective, every other team in the league has given up at least 225 yards per game through two weeks, so the Browns are in first place by far. The Browns defense has been especially good at stopping the run, holding their opponents to just 45.5 yards per game, which ranks first in the NFL (The second-best team at stopping the run is the Green Bay Packers, who the Browns will be hosting this week). 

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The most impressive part of this start is that the Browns have faced two high-powered teams to the start the season: The Cincinnati Bengals (With Joe Burrow) and Baltimore Ravens. 

With Myles Garrett leading the way, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, thought his defensive line would be strong this year and it turns out he was right. 

"The biggest thing is our defensive line is much, much improved over last year and I think we've got back to our personality," Schwartz said just before Week 1, via the team's official website. "When we play our best, our D-line leads us there as our engine."

In Week 1, the Browns held the Bengals to just 141 yards: 95 passing and 46 rushing. The defense was at its best during a second half where the Cleveland held the Bengals to just seven yards of offense, including -18 yards in the fourth quarter (And yes, that is a negative sign in front of that 18). The fourth quarter total by the Bengals was the lowest yardage number by any team in a fourth quarter since at least 1991 and that only happened because of a dominant showing by the Browns. 

Now, the Browns did end up losing to Cincinnati, 17-16, but that was mostly due to Andre Szmyt, who missed two key kicks in the the second half (one field goal, one extra point).  

The Bengals always seem to start slow, so some might have just written off that impressive defensive performance by Cleveland, but the Browns were just as good, if not better, in Week 2. In a 41-17 loss to the Ravens, the defense held Baltimore's high-powered offense to just 242 yards. Derrick Henry had nowhere to run, totaling just 23 yards on 11 carries. 

If you're wondering how the Browns' got blown out, it was because they couldn't get out of their own way. The Ravens had three scoring drives in the game where they only had to go 25 yards or less to get points. 

• A long punt return for Baltimore led to a 24-yard scoring drive that ended in a Ravens' field goal. 
• The Ravens also blocked a Browns' punt that led to a 24-yard touchdown drive for Baltimore. 
• There was also a Joe Flacco interception in the second half that led to a five-yard touchdown drive for Baltimore, a drive where the Browns defense almost came up big: The Ravens didn't score until fourth down. 

That's 17 points for gaining just 50 yards. It's hard for any defense to overcome that. 

Henry and Lamar Jackson combined for just 36 rushing yards in the game, which was their lowest total in a game together (The previous low was 101 yards, so the Browns blew that out of the water).  

Stopping the run is something that the team prides itself on, because everyone has to do their job, according to linebacker Devin Bush. 

"Stopping the run is a collective thing," Bush said after the Baltimore game. "It's all 11, it's not just the front seven or the linebackers or the safeties. It takes all of us to go out there and be in the right positions and know which runs are coming out of which sets, playing together and stopping the run together."

The Browns have been hurt by several special team gaffes through the first two weeks, but if they can play mistake-free football on offense and on special teams, the defense has proven that it's certainly good enough to help lead this team to several upsets. 

Back in 1994, the Cardinals started 0-2 before riding their strong defense to an 8-8 finish. At this point, coach Kevin Stefanski would probably be thrilled if the Browns were able to get to eight wins this year and the defense might just be good enough to help them get there.