CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Just when things appeared to be getting back on track for Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after forcing Pittsburgh into four interceptions, four sacks and three turnovers on downs while giving up just seven points, Myles Garrett flipped Wilks’ world upside-down.

Rather than spending the long weekend scheming ways to improve upon his defense’s best performance, he likely locked himself in a room trying to find ways to replace Garrett’s 10 sacks and overall Pro Bowl production for the rest of the season.

History shows there is no cookie-cutter method to replacing the on-field contributions of cornerstone players, especially at impact positions like quarterback, offensive tackle, cornerback or defensive end.

On Monday, coach Freddie Kitchens spoke of a simple way the process of replacing Garrett must start, and that’s by identifying a player or two capable of stepping up. More specifically, someone on the defensive line, likely Chad Thomas, a healthy Olivier Vernon or Sheldon Richardson must play at a higher level than originally expected.

Expect Wilks to blitz more, since he can no longer expect success with a four-man rush.

And cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams must be ready for an increase in targets. That’s because without Garrett, opposing teams are going to have more time to throw, thus putting responsibility on Ward and Williams to defend passes that were not getting off when Garrett played.

Lastly, Cleveland’s conditioning as a defensive unit will be tested in these final six games. Without Garrett, the Browns not only lose a game-changer, but also one fresh body they could roll in. At this time of year in the NFL, players are tired. As temperatures drop and injuries pile up, Wilks will ask his defensive linemen to rush the quarterback a little harder late in games, and he’ll expect Ward and Williams to hold their coverages a few seconds longer.

All Kitchens and Wilks can do is coach their best football and put players in a position where their preparation meets this new opportunity.

Thomas, Vernon, Richardson must step up

This won’t be easy and could prove impossible if Vernon cannot play Sunday against Miami, but so much of solving how to play without Garrett lies in how Thomas and Vernon handle increased playing time and responsibility.

General manager John Dorsey selected Thomas in the third round of the 2018 draft. After only appearing in four games as a rookie, the former Miami Hurricane has three sacks and played nearly 80 percent of the Browns defensive snaps since Vernon’s Week 9 knee injury.

Since filling in for Vernon, Thomas has back-to-back sack games but isn’t grading out as a player ready or capable of helping make up for Garrett.

Can he increase his output? Sure. But according to Pro Football Focus, Thomas isn’t playing well in his heightened role despite the two sacks. Against Buffalo, Thomas graded out at 47.7 overall and 56.2 at pass rushing. Things didn’t improve against Pittsburgh, as he graded at 50.9 overall.

In comparison, Richardson has earned a 91.8 grade against the Bills and a 78.0 overall against Pittsburgh.

For Vernon, it’s all a matter of health. Kitchens said Monday that the former Giants end, who was acquired in an offseason trade, will be evaluated later in the week, meaning Vernon is closer to a game-time decision then he is practicing fully.

When healthy, Vernon provides moments of Garrett’s eliteness. Both share similar strengths. In 39 games with the Giants, Vernon generated 19.5 sacks. He’ll need to tap back into his pass-rushing arsenal and build upon his three sacks this season.

Richardson, though he plays a different position along the defensive line than Garrett, likely will be asked to pressure the quarterback more. Despite never being big sack generator, with a career-high eight sacks in 2014, Richardson can create pressure and is playing some of his better football lately. He can and has played end before, but it is unclear whether he’ll switch positions.

Against Pittsburgh, Richardson trailed only Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi in average yards of separation between himself and the quarterback at 3.88 yards per throw according to Next Gen Stats. With both Ogunjobi and Garrett out, Richardson is the Browns’ most capable pass rusher.

If Vernon cannot play against Miami, it’ll likely be Chris Smith starting alongside Richardson and Thomas. Smith, a six-year veteran, played limited snaps in his first season with the Browns last year. He played 29 snaps (39 percent of plays) on Thursday, the most since Week 3 last year.

Expect more blitzing

In a perfect world, either Vernon, Thomas or Richardson will generate enough pressure on their own to cover in Garrett’s absence. However, history shows, replacing Garrett cannot happen with only one player. It’s why he has a cap hit of about $8.3 million and received a $20 million signing bonus in 2017, while Thomas and Smith have a 2019 cap hit of about $5.5 million, combined.

Therefore, Wilks must find help elsewhere. That equates to blitzing, which will probably be the Browns’ immediate response as Wilks knows rushing only four won’t be enough.

In Week 5, the Browns installed a game plan which stalled the Baltimore Ravens offense. Wilks found success using Garrett as a decoy or a player whose job it was to occupy blockers and space, rather than chase sacks. Despite Garrett’s displeasure with the scheme (he finished with one tackle and zero sacks), it worked. The Ravens struggled fending off the safeties and defensive backs capable of containing Lamar Jackson.

A similar deployment of athletes could help Cleveland manufacture pressure without Garrett.

An example from Week 5 teases the creativeness Wilks must tap into. Facing a third-and-7 near midfield, Cleveland walked six defenders to the line of scrimmage -- seven counting defensive back Eric Murray (22). Jackson accurately signaled Murray in coverage, but what Jackson didn’t account for was safety Damarious Randall coming free off his right end.

Randall timed the play perfectly and matched Jackson’s quickness, bringing him down. What makes this look exotic was dropping Vernon into coverage and overloading the Ravens’ right side. Since Baltimore didn’t slide, Randall came free.

Similarly against New England, Wilks crafted a blitz even Tom Brady couldn’t crack. Facing third and manageable on their side of the 50, the Patriots kept six in to block (five linemen and running back James White). But where the deception occurred was on Murray’s sell. At the last second, Murray crept in and blitzed Brady despite appearing to be in man-to-man coverage lined up over the top of Julian Edelman.

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Of course, blitzing more than four defenders means Wilks will have fewer secondary defenders against the pass, but if his pressures are successfully disguised like this, then there won’t be time to throw.

Cornerbacks must cover longer / great team conditioning overall

Missing Garrett likely means opposing quarterbacks are going to have more time to execute dropback passes. That means rather than hoping marginal players blossom into Pro Bowlers, it makes more sense for the Browns to ask more of players deemed already capable. Cleveland features a pair of first-round cornerbacks, who will be tested over their final six games.

Without Garrett, Wilks will coach up and hope a lesser player provides more. He’ll also blitz, but no defense can or ever would blitz more than 40 percent of the time. Under Gregg Williams last season, Cleveland rushed five or more defenders on 37 percent of snaps last year, second-most behind Baltimore.

Meaning realistically, Cleveland won’t be able to rush the passer as effectively, so Greedy Williams and Ward should expect more pass attempts. Not only will they face more targets, but the duo must be ready to hold their coverage assignments a second longer. Really, Ward and Williams are two of the most vital players on the Browns defense now.

In addition to Ward’s and Williams’ new burdens, the two along with the entire defense must prove they are in peak athletic condition.

Cleveland added a body by signing defensive end Bryan Cox, but without Garrett, guys will be asked to play more snaps because the Browns lack depth along the defensive line and aren’t much healthier in the secondary. Like the Week 3 Rams game when four defensive backs played 100 percent of snaps, the Browns must prove they are conditioned to play more snaps than usual because there are few other paths to victory.

These next six weeks will test the Browns defense both physically and mentally.

Though it is Kitchens’ and Wilks’s responsibility to ensure their players are ready for such heightened expectations, exceeding them will be a daunting task.

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