Born to run? Not this current Cleveland Browns offense
By Thomas Moore
Oct 18, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib (21) tackles Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson (29) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Coming into the 2015 NFL season, just about everyone with an opinion on the Cleveland Browns believed the team was going to feature a ground-and-pound offense.
Forget the high-octane passing attacks that are all the craze in the NFL, this Browns team was going to turn back the clock 30 years, with second-year running backs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, along with rookie Duke Johnson, mimicking the 1985 season that saw Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner each rush for more than 1,000 yards.
Young running backs operating behind a talented offensive line made whole again by the return of center Alex Mack from a season-ending injury, all with the stated goal of minimizing the importance of the quarterback position.
“What kind of special plays can we make in those situations to keep the chains moving?” – Running back Robert Turbin
Six games into the season, however, and that plan has clearly gone out the window. And looking back at last season, we probably should have seen it coming.
Mack’s return left everyone dreaming of the start of the 2014 season, when the Browns were rushing for 146 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. But that is looking more and more like an aberration, rather than the norm.
In the final 11 games of last season following Mack’s injury the running game averaged just 90.5 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. That trend has continued this season, as the Browns currently rank 25th in the NFL in rushing as they are averaging 91.8 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry.
So what gives?
For starters, while Mack “only” suffered a broken leg, it was still a significant injury. The legs are an important part of playing offensive line and Mack may still be working on trusting his once-injured leg. Even if Mack hasn’t played to his usual level, the offensive line is still performing at a high level, which is a positive.
Another factor is that opposing defenses are committing more players to stopping the run, not worrying about quarterback Josh McCown and his group of under-appreciated receivers beating them. If you are an opposing defensive coordinator, focusing on stopping the run and betting that McCown will make a mistake in the passing game has historically not been a bad play.
Finally, it is possible that Crowell, Johnson and Robert Turbin, who made his Browns debut on Sunday against Denver in the third running back role previously filled by West, are just average running backs.
Crowell has yet to have a 100-yard game and has only rushed for more than 70 yards in a game three times, Johnson is a rookie who is better as a pass catcher than a runner and, while it is always exciting to think the Browns are going pluck a star off another team’s practice squad, just because Turbin backed up Marshawn Lynch in Seattle doesn’t make him Marshawn Lynch.
That’s not to say the Browns are doomed at running back, but just that the stats are saying it is time to reset expectations of what this offense currently is.
While it would be nice if the Browns were able to run up and down the field each week (we know it certainly looks like the other team is having fun running on the Browns defense), the important thing is for the Browns to be able to run the ball as when they need to.
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The end of regulation against Denver was a good example as, on the 10-play drive the ended with a game-tying field goal, the Browns ran the ball six times and averaged 4.67 yards on each of those carries. The drive didn’t end in a touchdown, which is regrettable, but it is encouraging when the Browns needed to run the ball they were able to do so.
Being able to run the ball in those situations is not lost on the running backs.
“There have been multiple games where it’s come down to this, where it’s come down to those guys,” Turbin told the team’s website. “I tell the guys, ‘hey, this is the time running backs have to take over. What do you got? Can we hold the ball? Can we move the chains? Can we get first downs?’
“It’s on us and the linemen but it’s not even always about the offensive linemen, it’s about us. What kind of special plays can we make in those situations to keep the chains moving?”
The Browns may not be able to run till they drop and they’ll never go back to the opening weeks of 2014, but if the running game can be there when its called upon, then better days may be shining through for the Browns.