Browns training camp Day 6: Thinking touchdowns, not field goals

Jun 16, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine (right) speaks with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo during minicamp at the Cleveland Browns practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns returned to the practice field on Wednesday and spent a portion of training camp working on goal-line situations.

Which seems like a grand plan after seeing the offense finish 27th in scoring last season.

During the drills the offense took a simple approach – try to muscle the ball into the end zone.

“The one thing I was pleased with was the mentality that Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) took in that period, that we weren’t going to try to trick the defense that much,” head coach Mike Pettine told the team’s website. “It was essentially ‘Hey, here’s where the ball’s going.’ That’s the type of team that we want to build here that we can late in games, we’re down on the goal line and say, ‘Hey, here’s where we’re running’ and still punch it in. I was pleased that the first play of the drill was an off tackle run and the last play of the game was an off tackle run.

“I have seen teams take over first-and-goal at the six-inch line and not get in there. That is a mentality that they are not going to get in. We talk about all those guys winning their one-on-one battles. That is the important thing, not trying to do too much. We always talk about do your job, good things will happen. Nowhere on the field is that more true than on the goal-line.”

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It wasn’t all vanilla, however, as the Browns used linebacker Scott Solomon and defensive lineman Dylan Wynn as the fullback for a couple of plays.

“Just tinkering with (it). Obviously, with Malcolm (Johnson) down and (Luke) Lundy, who has taken some fullback reps, we needed them today,” Pettine said. “You always like to have a crossover guy defensively – especially if the way that you are building your offense is more of a hybrid fullback than a [standard FB] guy – that can get it done for you in a heavier guy that can get it done in goal line and short yardage.”

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