When you think of a unit coached by former defensive back and current Kansas City Chiefs top dog Herman Edwards, you expect sound defensive play.

“You get tagged that way because I’m a former defensive coach,” Edwards said.

But the Chiefs defense, not the offense, wilted on Sunday, losing 31-28 in overtime to the Cleveland Browns.

Although quarterback Trent Green had his best game of the year, and running back Larry Johnson rushed for 110 yards, the Chiefs could not stop the 29th-ranked Browns offense, which lacks dynamic playmakers and featured quarterback Derek Anderson, who had never thrown an NFL pass before.

“It’s a little bit of a setback,” said Edwards during his Tuesday news conference. “We allowed 31 points in a game against not one of the best offenses we’ve played.”

The Chiefs struggled on third down, allowing the Browns to convert seven of 11. Despite having an aggressive defensive coordinator in Gunther Cunningham, the Chiefs netted only one sack and few hurries.

“We’ve got to get there on our blitzes,” Edwards said. “It’s not like we sat there and played zone all day.”

Kansas City cornerback Patrick Surtain (23) pulls down Cleveland receiver Braylon Edwards. The Browns defeated the Chiefs, 31-28 in overtime, Sunday in Cleveland.

Help could be on the way in the form of outside linebacker Derrick Johnson, who missed the game because of an ankle injury. The second-year player has 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

“You miss your good players, and he is one of our better players on defense,” Edwards said. “We’re hopeful we can get him back this week.”

Another problem, however, was the lack of turnovers forced by Chiefs. They forced one fumble and one interception last week. Marquee offseason acquisition cornerback Ty Law has received much of the criticism. After racking up 10 interceptions last year, he has only three this year. Law covered Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius for much of the game, and Jurevicius caught six passes for 75 yards.

“If you miss a play and if you’re a player like Ty Law,” Edwards said, “it gets shown on television more than Joe the rookie who plays the same position.”

While defending Law, Edwards said the Chiefs, who have 21 takeaways and 10 interceptions this year, need to pick off more passes.

“We’ve got to get more turnovers,” he said. “One great thing about football – the only names that are on it are Wilson and the commissioner’s.”

Despite Sunday’s setback, the Chiefs still have the 14th-ranked defense. But they will see the type of unit they aspire to become when they face the (9-3) Baltimore Ravens, who have the league’s top-ranked defense, Sunday. Since the franchise’s inception, defense has served as their identity.

“That was their mindset. They were going to a build a defense,” Edwards said. “They’re fast. They run to the ball and they take the ball away.”

The defense-minded Edwards knows the Chiefs have not reached the Ravens’ level of play yet, but he sees progress.

“We’re getting better, but we’re not where we’re supposed to be yet,” he said. “But I think these guys have improved.”