The Browns’ offense looked much more like the kind of unit Cleveland hoped it would be on Sunday, and the run game was at the center of it. While Deshaun Watson topped 300 passing yards for the first time in his Cleveland career in the win over the Titans, the ground attack quietly turned in its best performance of the season.
A healthy Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson gave the Browns something they’ve been missing for stretches this year: real depth and real juice in the backfield. That matters in a big way for an offense trying to find rhythm.
Sampson, back after missing the past five weeks with a knee injury he suffered in Week 1 against Jacksonville, wasted no time making an impact. He turned nine touches into 77 yards, with 45 on the ground and 32 through the air, and showed off the speed that lets him stress defenses on runs and swing passes alike. With him on the field, Cleveland has another layer defenses have to account for alongside its young receivers and the bowling ball of a tight end.
Judkins looked healthy, too - maybe healthier than he has at any point this season. He finished with 96 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns, and the most encouraging sign was the burst.
He hit 21.01 miles per hour on one run, his fastest speed of the year. That 96-yard output was the second-best game of his young Cleveland career, and the reworked offensive line gave him room to work.
That line play showed up in the numbers. Last season, the Browns were dead last in rushing yards before contact per carry at 0.59, a number that reflected how often backs were meeting defenders almost immediately. They were still among the league leaders in rushing yards after contact, which says plenty about Judkins’ ability to break tackles and keep plays alive.
This time, the picture looked very different. In Week 7, Cleveland led the league in rushing yards per play at 6.3 and averaged 2.43 yards before contact, the sixth-best mark by any team in the week. The Browns also found plenty of success running behind the left side of the line, with Spencer Fano, Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and Blake Whiteheart helping create some of the biggest gains.
With the line settling in and both backfield pieces healthy, the Browns may finally be seeing the run game come to life in a way that can give this offense the balance it has been looking for.
In Other News...
Browns Need More Than Rivalry Hype In This Steelers Showdown
The buildup to Browns-Steelers week can quickly turn into a history lesson, but Todd Monken is trying to keep his team out of that trap. With a divisional matchup looming, the Browns coach has steered the conversation toward the present, stressing that the only thing Cleveland can control is how it prepares this week and how it handles the game plan in front of it.
Monkens message is especially relevant in a division where every meeting carries real weight for the postseason chase. He made clear that divisional games matter because they can shape playoff qualification, but he also pushed back against leaning on the rivalry itself as a motivating force. For Cleveland, the focus now is less on what has happened between these teams before and more on the details that can decide what happens next. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face A Huge First-Place Test In Pittsburgh Again
The next trip to Pittsburgh comes with plenty on the line, because the Browns and Steelers are tied atop the AFC North at 5-2-0 and the division race is already tight midway through the 2026 season. This one carries the feel of a familiar first-place measuring stick, with both clubs trying to prove they can separate from the pack in a game that could shape the standings well beyond one Sunday.
Cleveland will have to sort through the usual Steelers puzzle on the road, and the matchup points in a lot of directions at once: recent trends, how the two teams stack up on offense and defense, and which individual battles tilt the field. The Bengals are still lurking in the background as well, which only adds to the pressure if either side slips, making this one of those October games that can ripple through the division for weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face A Troubling O-Line Question Before Steelers Matchup
The Browns got most of their starters back on the field Thursday as they continued preparing for a division matchup with the Steelers, but the right side of the offensive line remains a concern. Starting right tackle Tytus Howard missed his second straight practice while going through the NFL concussion protocol, leaving his status for the game up in the air.
Dawand Jones filled in last week, and the Browns would likely lean on him again if Howard cannot go, but the early returns have not been encouraging. Against a Steelers defense that tends to punish any weakness up front, Cleveland is staring at a familiar late-week question on an already important part of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]