Cleveland Browns need to find better offensive balance in 2017

The Cleveland Browns passed the ball far too often in 2016. Head coach Hue Jackson has to find a way to correct that for the team to improve this season.

Anyone that gave the Cleveland Browns offense even a passing glance during the 2016 NFL season could see that there was a problem.

The Browns simply passed the ball too much.

Despite having a rushing attack that averaged 4.9 yards per carry — second best in the NFL – the Browns threw the ball an average of 35.4 times a game last season. Much of the problem had had to do with the fact that former defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s schemes confused no one on the opposing team, which led to head coach Hue Jackson calling far too many pass plays.

That is why it is not surprising to see the Browns on the list of the most unbalanced offenses from 2016.

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According to Conor Orr at NFL.com, Cleveland was tops in the league in throwing the ball on first-and-10. In that situation, the Browns threw the ball almost 60 percent of the time.

That is great if you have Drew Brees or Tom Brady throwing the ball, but the Browns had a quarterback group that included, at one time or another, Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown and Charlie Whitehurst, which is less than optimal, if we are being kind.

Oddly enough, while the Browns were pass heavy on first down, they were also among the league’s leaders in doing so out of what is normally considered a run-oriented formation, according to Orr:

"The Browns and Panthers were among teams that tended to throw more on first-and-10 out of traditional “power” formations. Hue Jackson threw the ball nearly 50 percent of the time out of a formation with more than one running back, while the Carolina Panthers threw the ball on first-and-10 more than 60 percent of the time (60.8) with two tight ends on the field."

Part of that may have to do with Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell being pretty reliable as pass catchers — they combined for 93 receptions and 833 yards last season — so it will be interesting to see if that trend continues this fall.

Jackson reiterated during Organized Team Activities a few weeks ago that he is ready and willing to turn the offensive focus toward the run this season, according to clevelandbrowns.com:

"“(We) have got to run the ball more. I will be the first to tell you that. I beat myself up about that. I am a coach that likes to run the ball. We all recognize where we were in games last year, and trying to play from behind is hard, and understanding what our team was last year, feeling that you had to get off to a fast start to get ahead of a team because you knew how some things would unfold."

"“I credit our executive team for putting some linemen on our football team. Again, it starts up front. If we are going to make this big jump on our football team, it is going to be on both sides of the line. That is where you win first. Obviously, we have got to have better quarterback play and better all-around team play, but you win with big people. You win with your defensive front and your offensive line, and those guys control the game.”"

Whether or not Jackson can stay committed remains to be seen, but one thing is crystal clear.

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The quarterback situation may be better than last season, but if the Browns are throwing the ball as much in 2017 as they did in 2016, it is going to be another long year.

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