By STEVE KING

Run the ball.

Whew! I almost put a word between “the” and “ball” that would have stopped this from being a G-rated website. Thank God — I don’t care if invoking his name may be deemed offensive to some — for small miracles.

Anyway, the Browns need to run the ball — a lot — when on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium they meet the Detroit Lions, who are still winless following their scintillating 16-16 tie with the Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday but will nonetheless come to town with some hope because they are playing a team that got whupped
45-7 by the Belichicks that same day.

The Browns need to run the ball on first down.

Second down.

Third down.

Fourth down.

Running downs.

Passing downs.

First-and-five downs.

Fourth-and-15 downs.

And every down and distance in between.

Untimed downs, following a defensive penalty on the final play of a quarter, if there are any, which there probably won’t be because it hardly ever happens.

Downtown.

Down the Lions’ throats, if that’s possible.

Indeed, if the Browns do what head coach Paul Brown’s team did in a 13-0 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in December 1950 and run the ball on every single offensive play, nary throwing a pass — it really happened; you can look it up if you don’t believe me — I wouldn’t be upset. On the contrary, I would be thrilled beyond belief.

For the Browns offensive line, considered perhaps the best in the NFL, got embarrassed against the Belichicks in a way I have not seen it get embarrassed in a long, long, long time. Maybe the guys were still celebrating the fact that guards Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio both signed lucrative contract extensions in the days leading up to the game. I don’t know.

Nonetheless, the best way for a line to re-establish itself and get its mojo back is blowing people off the ball at the point of attack in run blocking.

So, then, Browns, run the ball with y’all got, because with your pedestrian 5-5 record, you’re just about of time to get your season turned around if you’re still interested in making the playoffs.