3 ways Cleveland Browns running backs can contribute more

2. Kareem Hunt needs more carries in the run game

The best part of having Hunt and Chubb in the same backfield is just that, but it can create issues because both players help in so many ways to make the offense better but you only have so many offensive plays in a game. In last season’s playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs, there was a lot of criticism of Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski for not having the Browns use the running game more, especially in the first half of that game.

The Browns only had three offensive possessions, 25 total plays in that first half, compared to the Chiefs’ 39 first-half plays and four offensive scoring drives.

With only 25 total plays run by the Browns, it certainly limits how many times you hand the ball off to your running backs. This was certainly skewed in that first half as Chubb only ran the ball five times. Had the Browns not forced the issue with passes in that first half, maybe the outcome would have been different that day.

So that brings us back to Hunt and the necessity to involve him more this next season in the run game. He did have 198 carries this past season. When Hunt was a rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs he had 272 carries for 1327 yards and eight touchdowns.

Last year with the Browns, in those last six games on the season including the playoffs, Hunt had 10 carries or less in five of those games. If the Browns can get those carries up to more like 230 total carries and average more like 14 to 15 carries a game this season, that would be a good step forward.