It’s the running joke on the Browns.
Head coach Hue Jackson keeps talking about running the ball – the need to do it each week, why he doesn’t do it, his pledge to do it better the next time, all while time is running out on the 2017 season. Tslk is cheap. It doesn’t happen.
It’s not funny, though – not in the least bit. The Browns are 0-15 heading into Sunday’s season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, and nothing about this team this year is funny – unless you have a sick sense of humor.
Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the Chicago Bears – a beatable team that was especially beatable on that day – is another example of the Browns running themselves right out of another game.
The weather at Soldier Field, which overlooks Lake Michigan, was not good, what with snow, cold, wind and a slick surface. As people in Northeast Ohio know, weather on the shores of one of the Great Lakes is almost always not good in winter.
As such, Mother Nature was begging both teams to run the ball.
The Bears gave in to her wishes. They ran 31 times for 97 yards and all three of their touchdowns, including two by Jordan Howard, who needed 22 carries to get 44 yards, and one by some quarterback named Mitch Trubisky, who needed just seven carries to get his 44 yards. Averaging a little less than three yards per attempt as a team, the Bears weren’t exactly world-beaters on the ground. But they didn’t let that dissuade them. They were patient, and they were eventually rewarded for that with the trio of TDs, and the victory, one of just five they’ve had this season.
The Browns, on the other hand, rushed only 20 times for 75 yards. Though they averaged almost a yard more per try than the Bears, 3.75 yards, they didn’t stick with it with either Isaiah Crowell (12 carries for, you guessed it, 44 yards), and Duke Johnson (four attempts for 20 yards).
The Browns and Bears had nearly the same amount of total offensive plays, but Cleveland’s portion was top-heavy with passing attempts, with DeShone Kizer’s 36 being way more than Trubisky’s 23. Kizer, however, has been plagued by interceptions all year, and he had two more costly ones against the Bears. Trubisky was not intercepted and had 193 passing yards, which is 11 more than Kizer’s 182.
Jackson, who doubles as his own offensive coordinator, is apparently going to hire a coordinator for next season and turn over the play-calling duties to him. The need for that was evident again in Chicago.
Let’s hope that Jackson and the Browns run into some luck and locate a man who understands the importance of using the ground game, particularly when the conditions are conducive for it.
