Ray Horton has rightfully taken some dings for his post-Arizona defenses. They did tend to fold at crunch-time, and weren't the sack factories he wants.
No, it's not because it's too complicated. Regardless of the alignment, it's attack-oriented, and the players know pre-snap what to do. It's frankly the opposite of the Ryan/Pettine defense because the players play (rather than hesitate and analyze).
Talent does matter. As I've been repeating repeatedly, the pre-off-season roster was quite talented, and was handicapped by a Rubic's Cube scheme.
Paul Kruger doesn't belong in coverage. Tashaun Gipson isn't a strong safety. Whitten shouldn't be in center field. Sometimes simpler is better: Let the players do what they do best, even though the offense will see it coming.
The types of players they drafted should be telling, right?
In Schobert and Scooby, they got instinctive attack guys who make plays in the backfield. Schobert can play outside, as well.
Nassib and Ogbah are passrushers. In fact, every front seven guy on the new roster gets sacks.
The Browns haven't been able to stop the run for years. If you think Ray Horton will fix that all at once, you're too optimistic.
The four inside linebackers who make this team will include three who are very good at stopping the run (as in for zero yards), and should make it very hard to run between the tackles.
Stop thinking it's all on the defensive linemen. Linebackers are the guys who are supposed to hog all the tackles in the NFL. Most defensive linemen are badly overmatched by tailbacks, especially with guys as big as they are hanging on them.
In Ray's scheme, unlike Pettine's, two of the defensive linemen attack gaps, pulling three offensive linemen with them to make big messes in the backfield. A safety and inside linebacker, or two inside linebackers, are there to intercept the running back as he tries to circumnavigate these pile-ups.
The gaps between the pile-ups are predictable, because the aggressive defensive end and tackle are forcing it. When it works as intended, the back's inside gaps are filled.
He can go outside, of course. This defense will be attacked on the perimeter. It will get burned sometimes. You'll have to deal with that.
But Ray doesn't make it easy. The outside linebackers are real passrushers, and will be coming. The left defensive end will sometimes shoot inside. A Schobert or a Scooby won't wait for it-they'll be in the backfield as soon as they read run, and be in pursuit if they can't blow it up.
It's a downhill defense. An Ernie Shavers "You go or I go" defense. Shavers won 9 out of ten fights. Just got knocked out in the ones he lost. His best defense was his offense.
Ray wants to win nine out of ten downs, see?
I don't believe Horton has had this much talent on his more recent teams.
If Mingo and Gilbert get it together, it could be one of the best, right away.
Especially Gilbert, the knucklehead. Even if he's a dumbass, or remains a knucklehead, Horton might just do the "Just don't let that guy catch anything" thing with him.
Ray was a defensive back himself, and might be able to fix him. That would be huge, because his Gilbert's potential is off the charts.
Maybe he'll crap out again I don't know. But then, the Browns did get the 5'11" Jamar Taylor from the Dolphins. Horton and a fresh start might produce a winner here.
Mingo is different. He's serious and works hard. Now he's much bigger and stronger. Ray really likes him.
He could still match up with tight ends in coverage. I can't help thinking that this is what Ray meant when he mentioned "doing what I ask him to do".
You don't want Kruger or Orchard or Ogbah doing that (well Ogbah possibly), but Mingo has the hips for it, and it's very important these days. Tight ends are running rampant. Take that tight end away and good things happen.
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