BEREA - A vital piece of the Browns' defense has been missing in recent games - tackles.

If the NFL kept a statistic on missed tackles, the Browns might lead the league. The problem was never more evident than in the 29-27 win over the Buffalo Bills Monday, including a run by Marshawn Lynch in which an estimated seven players missed a chance to bring him down.

Coach Romeo Crennel has stressed the tackling issue at team meetings, and extra detail has been paid during practice, but it continues to be a problem that's a dream for opposing running backs.

"In some cases it's guys wanting to tackle or guys not wanting to tackle or guys just flat out trying but not doing a good enough job," outside linebacker Willie McGinest said. "That's something we're going to address and we're going to work hard at, and we're going to get better at it this week."

The art of tackling throughout the league has been widely criticized. Powerful running backs seem to shred defenses on a more frequent basis than was the case several years ago.

"Guys have this big thing going on with the stiff arm, and you see running backs swatting at facemasks," McGinest said. "Depending on who you're trying to tackle, you have to be aware of how you try to hit him.

"I played against Barry Sanders. I don't know of any player in the NFL that was harder to tackle than that guy. I don't care how much leverage you had, or how low you were or how great your technique was, he could make any guy look stupid. I've seen him make guys blow their knees out."

With injuries having hit the defense hard since training camp, there aren't many lineup changes Crennel can make to try to correct the problem. At this stage of the season he can only stress the importance of using proper techniques and hope that defenders are able to swarm to the ball.

"Obviously, it's something we need to get better at," cornerback Eric Wright said. "It's something we're all working on, and we have been focusing on it. It's just a matter of getting the job done."

Tackling, especially for small defensive backs, can be a state-of-mind issue. Daylon McCutcheon, who played cornerback for the Browns from 1999-2005, used textbook tackling form. He was fearless in diving at a player's feet to make perfect stops.

"You wouldn't be in this position if you didn't want to (tackle)," Wright said. "Those guys get weeded out fast. It's a lot of technique involved, and there are a lot of great running backs out there. There are techniques to breaking tackles. A lot of guys do different things to get free. You have to be mindful of it all and try to use the players around you and use great technique to get these guys down."

The challenge for Crennel is to involve all of his defensive assistants in the mission to improve tackling.

"You address it on an individual level by a position coach," Crennel said. "It's addressed in team meetings. The thing we have to do is get in better position, use the sideline when it's available, know where help is, wrap up instead of going off the diving board and getting as many players as we can to the ball."

Monday team meetings can be embarrassing for players who had tackling problems the previous day.

"Nobody wants to miss tackles," McGinest said. "It's like throwing a log into a fire. That's motivation and energy for you to get better the next time."

There's not always a next time for players who don't get the message.

mmclain@tribtoday.com