Cleveland Browns: Time to run to daylight on offense

The Cleveland Browns have been unable (or unwilling) to run the ball this season. But that needs to change with the New York Jets coming to town on Sunday.

The Cleveland Browns face what many are starting to believe is their last chance at grabbing a victory when they host the New York Jets on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

That seems a bit harsh considering the Browns have games remaining with the Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers and Chicago Bears – teams that enter the weekend a combined 6-14.

But, these are the Browns, and another loss this Sunday to fall to 0-5 on the season, especially coming at the hands of former Browns quarterback Josh McCown, could be enough to send the team into such a state of despair that it may not recover for some time.

That is why, at least on paper, there seems to be a very simple solution to, if not ensure victory, at least give the Browns their best chance at celebrating a victory Monday for the first time in 2017.

It is time for the Browns to simply run the damn ball.

The Jets come into Sunday’s game as one of the league’s worst rush defenses. They are ranked at No. 29 in yards allowed per game (143.8), at No. 27 in yards per carry (4.7) and have given up the most runs of 20 or more yards (eight).

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If there was ever a time for the Browns to turn back the clock and just pound a team into the turf with the running game, Sunday against the Jets would appear to be it.

Of course, it appeared that would be the plan from the start as the Browns invested heavily in the offensive line in the offseason, and have an offense being run by a rookie quarterback and populate with a group of underperforming wide receivers.

Yet, through the season’s first four games, the Browns have attempted almost twice as many passes (161) as rushing attempts (84), and quarterback DeShone Kizer’s 142 pass attempts are the most by a rookie quarterback through his first four starts since Blake Bortles in 2014.

Head coach Hue Jackson was asked this week if it was finally time to take some of the pressure off Kizer and start running the ball, most notably by giving running back Isaiah Crowell more opportunities. Jackson’s response, per ohio.com, doesn’t sound like he is convinced that the ground game is the way to go:

"“We have not been in a situation where we can hand this guy the ball the way I think you have to hand a back the ball. I believe in Isaiah Crowell. No question. I have to get this guy the ball handed to him, OK?”"

Jackson does have a point as the Browns have had first-half deficits the past two weeks to the Indianapolis Colts (28-7) and Cincinnati Bengals (21-0), which makes it difficult to stick to the run.

But it also feels as if a 3-0 deficit would be enough for Jackson to give up on the idea of running the ball and start dialing up pass play after pass play.

Next: Is Hue Jackson right about DeShone Kizer?

It may end up being difficult to do, but Sunday afternoon the time may have finally come for Cleveland’s offensive coordinator to tell the head coach it is time to run the damn ball.

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