Evaluating the Cleveland Browns at the quarter mark
By Thomas Moore
Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson (29) runs the ball on Oakland Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden (25) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Raiders won 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Thumbs down: The Running Game
The Browns entered the season with the ambition of being a running team, but so far that hasn’t happened.
Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson have combined to average just 72.5 rushing yards per game, which is a long way off of what people were hoping from the ground game.
It is not just this season, either, as the Browns’s struggles go back to Week 6 of last season. In the first five games of 2014 the Browns rushed for 146.4 yards per game. In the 15 games since then, the number has dropped to just 85.7 yards per game.
Something is obviously amiss, and if the ground game can’t find its footing, and soon, opposing defenses are going to make things tough on the quarterback, no matter who that is.
Thumbs up: Duke Johnson, pass catcher
A year after seeing their running backs finish last in the NFL in receptions, with just 29, the Browns drafted Johnson with the intention of returning the running backs to the passing game.
Johnson was slowed by a hamstring injury and a concussion in the preseason, but on Sunday against the Chargers he showed what he can bring to the passing game, catching nine passes, including a 34-yard touchdown.
If he can keep that up, he adds a dimension to the offense that has been missing for far too long.
Next: The Wide Receivers