Are the Cleveland Browns Adding a Few Wrinkles Into the Offense?
The Cleveland Browns’ offense is making a quick descent into the bottom of the NFL rankings. As of today, the Browns have the 30th
ranked defense, ahead of only the winless Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Needless to say, with the team’s top two running backs and No. 1 wide receiver currently injured, the Browns need to start mixing it up on offense.
Wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs alluded to just that on Wednesday, as he hinted at the possibility of showing up in the backfield against the St. Louis Rams.
At this point, anything would be a welcome change from the product that has recently been put out onto the field. Josh Cribbs is one of the few remaining playmakers on the Browns offense and it’s important to get him as involved as possible. If that means he shows up in the backfield, so be it.
There is one concern that comes out of this possibility, though. When asked about whether or not we would see the Wildcat formation on Sunday, Cribbs said that head coach Pat Shurmur is “warming up to it.”
While getting Cribbs involved in the offense is a good move, instituting the Wildcat at this stage is not. It’s a formation that has quickly gone out of style, and the Browns never ran it with much success anyway. I doubt we’ll be seeing much of it, if at all. But what Shurmur does need to warm up to quickly is the thought of getting Cribbs involved in the backfield or, at the very least, more involved in the passing game.
Something has to change when it comes to the Browns offense. Even with limited resources, Shurmur needs to find a way to generate something more than what we have seen in recent weeks. Sunday will be a big indicator of Shurmur’s ability to do that.