3 things Cleveland Browns must do better in 2021

3. Utilize the Run

Before everyone goes crazy… hear me out. When I say the Cleveland Browns need to utilize the run more, I don’t necessarily mean just run the football. The Browns have one of the best offensive lines in the game, as well as one of the best running back tandems in the league.

When I say utilize the run, I mean to use that success better for play-action. The Browns did a nice job at times last year, but they never seemed to have the success that should have come from Chubb breaking so many long runs.

What is the biggest reason for this?  Mayfield and the tight ends never seemed to be on the same page last year. Austin Hooper had timely drops, David Njoku was unhappy and injured a portion of the year, and Harrison Bryant really regressed after a strong start to the year.

I would argue the Browns have as talented a group of tight ends as any team in the league, but they had some major struggles last year. Truthfully, one mistake I think Stefanski made was focusing too much on his scheme and not enough on talent.

It seems crazy that Njoku saw such limited snaps when healthy, the guy is a freak athlete who improved as a blocker throughout the year.

Expect play action to be a huge part of the 2021 season and expect the tight ends to have a much better connection with Mayfield. I would also anticipate Njoku getting a lot more snaps, especially in passing situations. These big targets must be utilized in the red zone next season.