Cleveland Browns need to build as a run-first, cold weather, natural turf team

Quarterbacking a run-first offense

If you want to help Baker Mayfield, turn loose the running game. It’s a cliche from back in the 1970s that you have to establish the run to set up the pass, but it is still true.

You can disparage the Ravens’ passing game all you want, but that is just losers talk. It is true that Lamar Jackson did not accumulate gaudy passing yards, but so what? The Ravens led the NFL in passing touchdowns with 37, meaning that the run really did set up the pass.

By gaining yards via the run and short passes, eventually the opposing defense has to devote resources to slow down the “Run-and-Dink.” That is the cue to go airborne, often against an eight-man front and single coverage. Losers can whine that the passing touchdowns are cheapened because of the assist from the running game, but they are still worth six points apiece.

Conversely, the Browns coaching staff seemed to be pathologically ashamed of using the running game. Do you remember the game against Seattle, with the Browns leading 20-6 with under two minutes before halftime and the ball on the 12-yard line? Instead of giving the ball to Chubb and at least burning some clock and getting a field goal, they went no-huddle and threw an interception. As pointed out by Dawg Pound Daily’s Joel Cade, the reason for this can only be that they were thinking of scoring quickly, getting a three and out from the defense, and then scoring again. It signifies that the team was not only greedy but grossly overconfident in the passing game, so much so that they were willing to bypass conventional football strategy.

The 2019 Browns seemed to have the idea that Mayfield needed to throw the ball often, and throw it consistently deep in order to succeed. They felt they needed to get the ball to Jarvis Landry or Odell Beckham Jr., and there just were not any other receiving targets worth throwing to. Rashard Higgins and David Njoku were responsible for 1,211 yards in 2018. In 2019, they both wound up in Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse and were responsible for only 96 yards. If you’re wondering why Mayfield seemed like a different quarterback in 2019 compared to 2018, look no further than that.

What Mayfield does best is process information in a split second, select a target and get the ball airborne immediately. That is what he was so good at in 2018. What we do not want to see is him locking onto Landry or OBJ immediately and waiting for his guy to get open for the deep ball. We saw too much of that in 2019.

The Browns have to be willing to forgive Mayfield for having a poor year in a dysfunctional offense like that. He has a cannon for an arm, but that does not mean it is beneath him to dink and dunk, use his tight ends and third and fourth wide receivers. If the Browns can get over their hangup about having to feed their two star receivers so much of the time, Mayfield will cut down his interceptions dramatically and put up much better numbers.