When the season began, the Browns’ offensive ceiling looked tied to one thing: the ground game. Four weeks in, that part of the plan still hasn’t taken off, even as Cleveland has found a way to sit at 3-1.
The numbers tell the story. The Browns are averaging only 93.8 rushing yards per game, which puts them 23rd in the league, and the production has been uneven enough that quarterback Deshaun Watson has led the team in rushing in two of the four games. Quinshon Judkins, the back expected to help drive this offense, has 177 rushing yards and one touchdown on 59 carries.
Cleveland clearly wants more from that area, and Week 5 may offer the cleanest path yet. The Browns head to New York to play the Jets, and the matchup lines up in a way that should get their attention.
The Jets have had a rough start against the run. They’re 1-3 and giving up 123.5 rushing yards per game, a figure that ranks 25th in the NFL. Chicago hammered them in Week 4 for 232 rushing yards and 4.3 yards per carry, and the week before that Detroit put up 131 rushing yards while averaging 4.4 per attempt.
New York did manage to keep its first two opponents under 100 rushing yards, but even those games came with warning signs. Tennessee averaged 4.9 yards per rush on its way to 68 rushing yards in Week 1, and Green Bay finished with 63 rushing yards in Week 2 while averaging 3.5 per carry.
That opens a door for Cleveland, which is still sitting at just 3.7 rushing yards per carry. If the offensive line and Judkins can sync up in Week 5, the Browns will be facing a defense that could help them put together a much-needed confidence boost on the ground.
And if that run game finally starts humming, Cleveland’s offense could get a lot more dangerous. The young playmakers are already doing damage, but they’re doing it without defenses having to seriously fear the run. Once opponents are forced to commit to stopping it, the Browns can make life a whole lot harder for whoever is across from them.
In Other News...
Browns Postgame Tragedy Leaves One Grim Downtown Cleveland Mystery
A postgame disappearance in downtown Cleveland has turned into a grim recovery effort after Phoenix Phillips, a 24-year-old Maryland resident and Pittsburgh Steelers fan, vanished after attending a football game. Police began a missing persons investigation after Phillips' abandoned cell phone was found near West 10th Street, a clue that narrowed the search but did little to explain how the night unraveled.
Emergency teams searching the area on Tuesday found a body in the Cuyahoga River, and authorities confirmed it was Phillips. The case has left the downtown area with a somber shadow after what began as a football outing, and the focus now shifts to piecing together Phillips' final movements in the hours after the game. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Have A Pass Rush Concern They Cant Ignore
Derek Barnetts arrival gave Cleveland a needed boost off the edge after Alex Wright went down, and through four games the veteran has quickly become one of the Browns most disruptive defenders. He has led the team in quarterback pressures and has even climbed into the top tier league-wide in pressure rate, which is exactly the kind of production Cleveland hoped to find when it brought him in.
Now the Browns are dealing with a different kind of edge-rush question. Barnett missed a recent practice because of an ankle injury, and with an upcoming game on the schedule, Cleveland has to get ready as if it might be without one of its most productive pass-rush pieces. For a defense that already needed help there, that is a problem it cant simply shrug off. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Have A Quarterback Decision Watson Can't Ignore
Dillon Gabriels return to the Browns quarterback mix puts a little more pressure on a room that has already had to sort through injuries and uncertainty. Activated from injured reserve, Gabriel now gives Cleveland a 21-day window to decide whether he belongs on the active roster, and that timeline alone makes his status worth watching as the team keeps piecing together its depth behind center.
Deshaun Watson has already acknowledged Gabriels involvement around the team during his own injury absence, and he sounded confident in the quarterbacks Cleveland has on hand. The real question now is whether Gabriel pushes for the backup job or settles in as an emergency third option, a decision the Browns have to make while trying to keep the position stable and avoid another headache later on. [Read more 🡒]