Browns coach Hue Jackson laments problems with tackling, run defense: 'It's a sore thumb right now'

"We have to get better at tackling," Jackson said. "We have to play stronger against the rush, or else teams are just going to feel like they can move the ball on us that way."

Two weeks ago, Horton likened the defense to a kaleidoscope because he said he wasn't sure what it would look like by the time the Sept. 11 regular-season opener arrives.

"When you turn it, you're going to get a different picture. I want us to have guys that are interchangeable because I don't know what we're going to be yet," Horton said Aug. 4. "If somebody said, 'Well, you're a 3-4 [defense]. Would you be a 4-3?' Well, sure I would if I thought it would win. We're going to be an ever-changing defense until we find out what we do best and put the players in that position."

Jackson conceded the mixing and matching may have hurt the defense's performance thus far, but he stressed it's wise to experiment and evaluate before the real games begin.

But the bottom line is the coaches are still seeking answers, especially against the run. The Browns have been searching for a way to stop the run for about as long as they've been looking for a long-term answer at quarterback. This year's defense doesn't appear to be ready to reverse the trend.

"There are some things that we need to improve on pretty quickly," Jackson said.

The starting defense played four series Thursday and allowed 71 yards on 12 carries (5.9 average). The Falcons finished with 224 yards on 41 carries (5.5 average).

Jackson wouldn't specify how many tackles were missed, but the number was embarrassing. The most glaring one occurred when cornerback Justin Gilbert whiffed near the line of scrimmage on Devonta Freeman's 19-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter.

"We had too many [missed tackles]. I promise you that," Jackson said.

Unlike the three Browns coaches who preceded him, Jackson made his team practice live tackling to the ground in the early stages of training camp and signaled the "everything goes" hitting periods with ambulance sirens. But Jackson's physical camp isn't paying off because the defense can't tackle, at least not on a consistent basis.

"I'm glad I did have [the siren periods] because it showed me some things that I know we need to continue to work on, and I think that was needed at that time," Jackson said. "Obviously, we're practicing each other, but now we're playing against other teams. We just need to do a better job of taking the proper angles and wrapping up and finishing our tackles."

Would employing four D-linemen more often help against the run, too? Horton uses a three-man line for the base defense and a four-man front for the nickel package. Considering the kaleidoscope analogy, are more 4-3 alignments in order?

"Me and Ray will do whatever we think it takes to help our football team win, whether it's a four-man line or stay in the [3-4] base alignment we're in now," Jackson said. "I don't think it's about four-man lines or any of that. I think what we've got to do is do our jobs better and make sure that we're doing the things that we're asking our guys to do play in and play out."

If it's not the scheme, it's the players. So the starting lineup will be fluid.

"We'll continue to look at different combinations to see if we can get the best guys out there," Jackson said. "I don't think that we have all the answers just yet or else we would have slowed some other teams down."

The previous regime drafted starting nose tackle Danny Shelton 12th overall last year to combat the run, but to this point, he hasn't been the difference maker the defense needs.

"I don't think it's about just Danny," Jackson said. "I think it's about our defense, our unit. Our unit needs to play better. We need to tackle better. We need to make sure we get in the right spots and everybody do their job better. I don't think it's just about one guy. I think it's about the whole unit."

But Shelton played into the third quarter against the Falcons along with Nick Hayden and Jamie Meder, both of whom are in the mix to start. Starters usually rest in the second half of preseason game No. 2, so perhaps Horton wasn't pleased with Shelton's play.

"That was truly about just looking at different combinations," Jackson said. "As I've said all training camp, we're going to continue to look at different combination of guys out there playing with different players to see what gives us a good look. So, no, it had nothing to do with being disappointed about [Shelton]."

Apparently former Browns offensive lineman Jason Pinkston disagrees. He tweeted that Falcons center Alex Mack, who spent the past seven seasons with the Browns and made three Pro Bowls, "did whatever he wanted to Shelton."

To which Jackson replied, "He's entitled to his opinion, and I respect it. But I don't get into what everybody else says."

As Horton continues to shake up the defense, he'll likely give rookie end Carl Nassib and rookie outside linebacker/end Emmanuel Ogbah more playing time with the first unit after sprinkling them in with the starters Thursday. Nassib has two sacks this preseason. Ogbah, who appeared at outside linebacker with the No. 1 defense, has one.

Also, end John Hughes is scheduled to return to practice Sunday. He was a projected starter but missed two weeks of camp while dealing with a personal family matter. The other projected starting end, Desmond Bryant, suffered a season-ending torn pectoral muscle last month before camp started.

Another potential change would be starting Jamie Meder at right end instead of Xavier Cooper. Meder filled the role in practices leading up to Thursday, but Cooper started.

"We'll continue to evaluate it because obviously we didn't have the success that we anticipated," Jackson said.