Chemistry, closeness, resilience on display in fun but trying season, will be tested again vs. Ravens

BALTIMORE — Spending quality time together is easy when there's nobody else around and nothing else to do in the mountains of West Virginia. Choices change the equation.That's why defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo was so moved when a handful of teammates traveled to New York during the bye to attend an exhibit of his photography, one of his passions. He believes this illustrates the strong bonds forged by the Browns this season.Browns-Ravens Preview: 3 things to watch, 3 key numbers, the prediction"You know, we only get a week off every year and some of the guys came to New York just for a day, just popped in, came, supported me," Okoronkwo told The Chronicle-Telegram recently. "And that meant everything to me. That's just one example of how much support and love there is on this team."The Browns will need that bond Sunday against the first-place Ravens (7-2). Not only is Baltimore riding a four-game winning streak and has the chance to sweep the season series and deal a big blow to Cleveland's dreams of a first AFC North title, the Browns will be without starting tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) and Dawand Jones (shoulder/knee). They're also 5-19 all time in Charm City.Myles Garrett in 'sweet spot' of career, plans to keep pushing his peak higher and higher"Definitely lean on that tight-knit grouping," cornerback Greg Newsome II told The Chronicle this week. "You've got to lean on that every time on the road because it's really just those guys that are out there. It's definitely hard to rattle us away because we're so close with each other."The NFL season is always a grind, but some seasons test mettle and morale more than others. This is one of those for the Browns.Dual threat: Browns defense charged with stopping Lamar Jackson, keeping up with Ravens' stingy defenseThey lost running back Nick Chubb and right tackle Jack Conklin for the season with torn knee ligaments in the first two weeks and played without quarterback Deshaun Watson for nearly four full games. They blew a great chance to upset the Seahawks with P.J. Walker at quarterback Oct. 29 with a late interception and the defense's inability to get a stop in the final two minutes.But the Browns bounced back to hold the Cardinals to 58 net yards in a 27-0 win last Sunday to improve to 5-3."Like Coach always says, bad teams break apart after a tough loss but tight teams stay together," Newsome said. "I think resilience is the biggest thing in the NFL, and for us to do that against an Arizona team, obviously they had a new quarterback, but to hold a team to that many yards is almost impossible in today's age. So that just shows our resilience as a team."Notes: Dawand Jones ruled out for Sunday vs. Ravens, leaving Browns without both starting tacklesOkoronkwo signed with the Browns as a free agent in March. He was quick to share the bye week story, including cornerback Denzel Ward's attendance."It's hard to get that guy out of the house," Okoronkwo said. "For him to get on a plane, that was super cool."Ward acknowledged he tries to stay "locked in" during the season and doesn't go out "too much.""We've been building camaraderie and that connection ever since we all got together back in camp and going to The Greenbrier," Ward told The Chronicle, referencing the nine days of training camp spent in West Virginia. "Ogbo is one of my close friends and he had an event and wanted to go out there, support him and spend some more time with the guys, even though it was our break and time off. Just still building that connection. And I feel that's been translating onto the field."The record is good, but the way the Browns are winning may be more impressive. They went 2-2 without Watson, getting both wins and almost a third from former XFLer Walker.The defense has done a lot of the heavy lifting, ranking first in yardage (234.8 yards per game) and against the pass (145.0). Under new coordinator Jim Schwartz, it's also led the way in changing the culture, developing chemistry and bringing energy."I know the celebrations just look like we're having fun out there, but I think that stuff plays a factor and that energy feeds off one another," Ward said.Chemistry was an issue last year, especially on defense. Jadeveon Clowney's jealousy of fellow end Myles Garrett and criticism of the coaches and front office was the most blatant example, but there were other issues.General manager Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski recognized the problem and addressed it heading into this year. Berry's offseason acquisitions included quality locker room guys in defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, Okoronkwo and safety Rodney McLeod. Stefanski persuaded owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam to foot the bill for the stay at The Greenbrier, with forced bonding a primary reason.The relationships have remained strong despite the freedom that comes with returning home and everyone living separate lives."I don't know if you see the D-line, we go everywhere together. We move in a pack," Okoronkwo said. "But DBs hang out with the linebackers, the linebackers hang out with the D-linemen, I hang with Deshaun. It's all different groups all meshing, and that's the makings of a good team. The good teams I've been on that's what they've been like."All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio is a straight shooter. If he didn't think chemistry mattered, he would say so."When situations get tough, depending on the type of person you are, if you're playing with some people you enjoy, you like, you want to be with, you might have a little bit extra," he said. "The defense has brought an energy where they're very together and the offense feeds off that, too, and we want to be part of that."The defensive celebrations have become a rallying point. Any time anyone makes a big play, he's joined by multiple teammates. A takeaway draws the entire unit, and if a player doesn't celebrate, it's considered a "loaf.""I would say that this team is very selfless," special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said. "And you can see whenever the offense makes a play, the defense goes crazy. When the defense makes a play, the offensive players are going nuts.""I don't know if I've ever known a good team that didn't have that," Schwartz said. "I've known a lot of bad teams that didn't have it, but I don't know which one came first, if it was the chicken or the egg."The post Chemistry, closeness, resilience on display in fun but trying season, will be tested again vs. Ravens first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.