BELLAIRE — Zach Ginter could be forgiven for having a bad flashback when the Browns offense started watching footage of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense this week. That’s especially true when the rookie right guard watches the defensive tackle duo of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
It was December 31, 2021, and the University of Michigan was playing the University of Georgia in the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinals. It was a bad night for the Wolverines. The Wolverines lost 34-11 (34-3 early in the fourth quarter) to a Bulldogs team that was on the verge of winning the first of back-to-back national championships.
That Georgia team was led by a defense packed with two layers of future NFL talent. Front and center was the defensive lineman duo of Carter and Davis.
“So I think they were bigger, faster and stronger than the average D-lineman,” Ginter told the Beacon Journal this week. “So they’re big, strong and twitchy. They can stand up and run.”
That night, Carter and Davis stood up and went after Michigan State’s offense. Carter, Ginter’s biggest nemesis in Miami Gardens, totaled two pressures, and Davis added three more.
Ginter doesn’t remember many details of the match he played against the pair — “It’s been four years since we played,” he noted. But he remembers enough to recognize what he’s seeing now as the Browns prepare to face the rest of the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday.
“So they’re just (creating things) and continuing to hone their skills,” Ginter said. “They’ve been four years since I played. They’re in the NFL now, so they just keep working.”
Carter, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft, has emerged as a legitimate game-breaker on Philadelphia’s defensive line. He is second on the Eagles with 13 pressures and is one of only two players with double-digit pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Davis, the 13th overall pick in the 2022 draft, has had ups and downs in his performance this season. He has a sack, but it’s one of just two pressures he’s had this season.
Still, as a pair, they provide yet another challenge inside the Browns’ offensive line. Cleveland faces at least one big challenge at defensive tackle almost every week, especially now on a three-game losing streak: Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants, Christian Wilkins of the Las Vegas Raiders, Jonathan Allen and Deron of Washington.・They are a commander duo. Pain.
“Jalen Carter is a great player,” Browns left guard Joel Bitonio said. “Their D-line is a strength. I feel like I say it every week, but the D-line has been a strength of the defense we’ve been playing, so it’s going to be a big challenge.”
The loss coincided with Ginter starting at right guard after Wyatt Teller suffered a sprained MCL early in the third quarter of a loss to the Giants. He has started the past two games in place of Teller, but that could change soon with Michael Dunn coming off the non-football illness list.
Ginters has struggled in recent weeks against talented defensive tackles, allowing six pressures and two sacks. Five of those pressures and two sacks have come in the last two weeks.
For newcomers, the baptism of fire can be surprising. Ginters tried to avoid that through his approach.
“I think we just attack every day,” Ginter said. “Whether it’s at practice, in the conference room, or when you’re breaking down film, find something to get better at every day. Just keep it simple.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. For more information about the Browns, visit www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow @ceasterlingABJ on X
