The Cleveland Browns are having a hellish season. They stand with a record of 3-12 as they look to end this nightmare. One of the bigger reasons for this drop in success has been their misuse of the run game and the unbalanced offense that Kevin Stefanski and Ken Dorsey have been calling this year.
I decided to examine how far the run game has collapsed over the last couple of seasons. Man, has there been a significant drop-off.
Play Calls? Injuries?
Some will try to defend Stefanski and Dorsey’s play calling with claims that there have been too many injuries on the offensive line and because of this, our linemen haven’t helped create better chances for our running backs. It may be true to a degree that injuries can affect a team but not to the point that the run game ceases to exist.
One of the biggest keys to a successful football team is a balanced offensive attack in which the run-and-pass game is used equally.
That has certainly not been the case for our Browns this season. Currently, they are only running the ball 34% of the time. That’s a dead-last in the NFL.
That running percentage has continued to fall off for the last couple of seasons. Last season we were ranked 18th in the league. They ran the ball 43% of the time.
Running less than 50% of the time!
Now there are reasons for the drop-off to some degree, which includes the loss of Nick Chubb, their future Hall of Famer, who was seriously injured last season and had kept him out until midway through this season. However, the run game still should not have dropped off so significantly, which was once one of the best run games in the league in past seasons.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 10: Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns plays against the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 10, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
From 2020 to 2022 the Browns were ranked in the top 10 in running the ball. In 2020 the team was at 48% which ranked fourth. Looking at 2021, the team was ranked sixth with a 46% rushing rate. 2022 saw a percentage that was again 48%, ranked eighth.
So here we stand at the bottom of the rankings this season. When people ask why this team has struggled so much, look no further than the lack of a run game.
Jerome Ford to the rescue?
With Nick Chubb again injured with a broken foot suffered two weeks ago the team will continue to use Jerome Ford as their primary back. He has had a few nice big runs in recent weeks, including a 66-yard scamper last week at the start of the game. But when you look at his stats again, he’s only been getting upwards of 10 to 11 carries a game even as the primary back.
DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 02: Jerome Ford #34 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball during an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on December 2, 2024 in Denver, Colorado (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
While some are criticizing the run game and say that it’s the same old plays and such, the coaching staff is not committed to running the ball. Especially in games where we were still in the game. The Browns have been in most of the games this season. They could have tried to establish the run more and stuck with it, but Stefanski and Dorsey continued to have an unbalanced attack. That is killing this team immensely.
Players Calling Out the Coaches?
When you hear players like Myles Garrett talk about their futures and their hope that the Browns return to running the ball more you would hope that the organization is listening. Stefanski has been here for five years. Yet, he still shows a lack of coaching knowledge to understand that a balanced attack is a key to winning.
When the owner Jimmy Haslem talks about the team and is perplexed as to why this team is struggling, I don’t know how he and the organization for that matter can’t see the huge discrepancy in this unbalanced attack of run and pass. And how it’s affecting the team.
There will be many that point to numerous injuries to the players on the offensive line. Or the team has fallen behind in too many games and thus the team has to utilize the pass. Those reasons are bogus. The coaches have simply abandoned the run because they are pass-happy.
CINCINNATI, OHIO – DECEMBER 22: Jerome Ford #34 of the Cleveland Browns is tackled by Mike Hilton #21 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Right now in the NFL, the top five rushing teams include the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders, and Green Bay Packers. All these teams are looking at playoff berths and run the ball almost 50% of the time.
If the Browns are to return to the postseason and ever want to sniff a Super Bowl appearance, they have to run the ball as much as they are passing it.
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