The Cleveland Browns defense faced plenty of question marks heading into this season, especially with longtime defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz gone and superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett fresh off a 23-sack campaign being traded to the Los Angeles Rams. The losses have left two significant voids to fill, but so far new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg has looked remarkably comfortable in his role and his guys have collectively stepped up to mitigate the loss of Garrett.
They won’t be able to maintain that level of consistency in a Post-Garrett world without another reliable veteran or two to keep the train on the tracks. Cornerback Denzel Ward’s presence has never been more valuable for that reason, and he has a buzz in the secondary, and he’ll have his hands full with the New York Jets’ Garrett Wilson on Sunday as the team looks to snap its longest winning streak in 40 years.
During a recent appearance on the PFF NFL Show, Ward discussed the toughest matchups he’s faced in the league, and he singled out Cincinnati Bengals superstar Ja’Marr Chase as one of the toughest. He noted that the Bengals game was circled on the calendar because he was looking forward to that matchup.
“In the division, I’d say Ja’Marr Chase. He’s one of the guys that I think I’m definitely going to circle on the schedule,” Ward said.
Denzel Ward takes on Ja’Marr Chase
“He’s one of those guys on the schedule that I think I’ve definitely circled.”pic.twitter.com/9URtMfcGHG
— PFF (@PFF) October 7, 2026
He praised Chase’s ability to make plays after the catch and his physicality as a route runner, noting the importance of tackling him as soon as he catches the ball to limit damage. He also said he believed he did well against him for the most part, but acknowledged how tough the matchup was for all the reasons mentioned above.
Last season, Chase had just two catches for 26 yards in his first game, but had eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in the season finale in 2026. If you look at the stats over the years, Ward is right to point out that he and his team have done well against Chase.
Chase has only one 100-yard game against the Browns, and that was in 2022. The Browns have held Chase for less than 60 yards six times in nine career games. In three of those games, Chase didn’t even reach 30 yards.
That’s quite a feather in Ward’s cap considering how incredible the Chase has been, and we’ll see if Ward can continue that trend when the two AFC North foes meet for the first time in Week 13.
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