Cleveland Browns must establish the run to ignite Hue Jackson’s offense

The Cleveland Browns are back to the drawing board after turning in another season full of unsatisfactory results. Solving the Browns’ struggles is not an easy fix, but in the mean time, the team could get better by letting the running game shoulder the weight.

The Cleveland Browns enter training camp with  more than a few question marks. Understandably so, the Browns’ roster has turned into musical chairs once again as anything other than what resulted from last season would be a vast improvement.

The Browns’ struggles on offense have been evident over the last few seasons. However, the run game has been an area where there has been improvement.

The quarterback carousel has yet to slow down as the Browns remain on a never-ending search for The One. The Browns haven’t been better than 20th in the league in passing offense since 2013. The Browns are now looking at either Brock Osweiler or DeShone Kizer to take the reigns at quarterback. It’s going to be ‘pick your poison’ in this situation as Osweiler was just ran out of Houston and Kizer is an unproven rookie.

It only gets worse for the Browns as they finally found a solid WR1 in Terrelle Pryor only to see him go just as quickly. Pryor left the team in free agency shortly after posting a 1,000-yard season.

The defense has suffered over recent years and it may not have been solely based on talent. It’s extremely difficult to play good defense all game when the offense is only on the field for three plays at a time. The Browns had the seventh highest three-and-out possession percentage last season.

The remedy to just about every one of the Browns’ problems can be found in attaining established possessions. Running the ball effectively is one of the most sure-fire ways to have control over a game. Turnovers are limited and the clock moves at your pace.

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If the Browns can establish a reliable run game, it will make life that much easier for the rest of the offense and also allow the defense more time to rest. The run game is especially necessary when considering the quarterback situation as it will help divert some of the pressure. This will allow time for the quarterback position to cement itself.

The development of running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson is something the Browns can be excited about.

Isaiah Crowell has quietly gained momentum over the last few seasons. Crowell has developed quite a bit since he began with the Browns in 2014. He has gained trust from the coaches since then as his carries and receptions have increased in each season. As a result, his rushing and receiving yards have began to stack up.

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Last season, Crowell enjoyed his most productive and efficient season as a pro. He gained over 1,000 all purpose yards, doubled his receptions, and averaged 4.8 yards per carry. This may not be from experience alone though.

Current head coach, Hue Jackson, may not have done anything for the Browns in the win column but he has built some foundation for the team’s future. It is evident that Jackson has had plans for Crowell. The development of Crowell into more of an all-purpose back than before has afforded the offense some much needed versatility.

In Jackson’s tenure as offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals, he has gotten some solid production out of his backs. The Bengals’ rushing offense ranked sixth best in 2014 and just outside of the top ten in 2015. This also includes the rise of Bengals’ running back Jeremy Hill when he was a rookie in 2014. Hill rushed for over 1,000 yards on 5.1 yards per carry and had nine touchdowns in just eight starts.

Jackson has some experience in utilizing a dual-back rotation as it was the same kind he used with the Bengals. Jeremy Hill was the big back who got the carries and Giovani Bernard was the receiving back. This rotation parallels with the dual-running back system the Browns have with Isaiah Crowell getting the early down work and Duke Johnson catching passes out of the backfield.

With the Browns’ lack of depth at receiver this season, Duke Johnson may be lining up in the slot more often than not. Crowell getting a rise in receptions last season supports this as he is becoming more of an every down back.

The Browns spent more than $100M to upgrade their O-line. The signings of former Bengals guard Kevin Zeitler and former Packers guard J.C. Tretter will certainly make the Browns’ interior a bit more intimidating. This bodes well for an already improving Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson.

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Even through the hardships that the Browns have faced over the past few seasons, Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson have continued to improve. Now, with an upgraded offensive line and Hue Jackson in his second year, this duo has an even better opportunity to take their game to the next level.