Browns Film Room: What is wrong with the Browns running game?

The Cleveland Browns are 1-2 with plenty of questions looming after falling to the Oakland Raiders 27-20. The team has struggled in multiple aspects of the game with one of the biggest problems being their running attack. The Browns are ranked 25th in rushing yards this season, including just 39 yards rushing this past Sunday versus the Raiders.

There are multiple reasons for the underwhelming run game and we’ll be using this week’s film room to break down exactly what these hurdles are.

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Bad Blocking

The Browns offensive line came into the season touted as one of the best in the entire league. Their play this season, however, has been far from elite. The offensive line has really struggled, specifically in run blocking. It has not produced much space for the Browns runners to have an opportunity for success. Here are two examples of their troubles run blocking.

This is one of the biggest moments of the game, when the Browns had a chance to cut the lead to 10-7 before halftime. On this play, the Browns line up in an I-formation with eight blockers on the line of scrimmage. The Browns needed one yard to get to the end zone. But as you can see, the rush to the left by running back Isaiah Crowell was unsuccessful.

This shot shows that the offensive line was beaten pretty badly by the Oakland defense. Rookie Cameron Erving was in charge of the key block on this play, but he was unable to push the Raiders’ Denico Autry back, which caused a blockage that enabled the rest of the defense to get past their blocks and wrap up Crowell. As you can see, the Raiders defenders are all standing, while many of the Browns blockers are on the ground. The Browns lost the leverage on this play.

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But, the offensive line is not to blame for everything. The other players in charge of blocking on certain plays, namely the tight ends and fullbacks, have also underwhelmed. Here is an example.

This run play by the Browns is one of those plays where you say, “What is he doing?” The Browns run a toss play to the right out of an I-formation. The Raiders’ Malcolm Smith tackles Crowell for just a short gain. This run would (and should) have been much longer had rookie fullback Malcolm Johnson blocked Smith when he had a chance. Johnson just runs right past Smith, giving the linebacker a clear path to Crowell. Johnson doesn’t even block anyone on the play, and looks completely lost.

This shot shows the running lane Isaiah Crowell would have had if Malcolm Johnson blocked Malcolm Smith. The Browns offensive line is getting a good push on their respective men and making solid space for Crowell. Smith is the only one filling the running lane. This play definitely could have been a bigger play for the Browns had Johnson been able to block Smith.

Missed Opportunities

The Browns running backs have not been good so far this season. Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson have missed opportunities for bigger gains, and their missing holes is a significant reason for the Browns’ lack of a running game. Here are two examples of starter Isaiah Crowell missing an opportunity.

This was the big third down play on the goal line late in the second quarter. This came after two unsuccessful plays from the 1-yard line. The Browns are in an I-formation with Crowell lined up behind fullback Malcolm Johnson. Crowell is stuffed at the line of scrimmage for no gain, making it three consecutive unsuccessful attempts at the goal line.

This shot shows that the biggest fault on the unsuccessful run was Crowell’s. He simply picked the wrong direction, going right instead of left. Had Crowell followed his fullback to the left, he would have had a clear path to the end zone because of excellent blocks from left guard Joel Bitonio and left tackle Joe Thomas. Fullback Johnson helped seal the block on C.J. Wilson (No. 98) alongside center Alex Mack. But Crowell chose to go right, right where linebacker Curtis Lofton was ready to fill the hole, and Lofton stuffed Crowell for no gain.

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Here is another play where Crowell chose the wrong direction. As you can see, the play is a single back set with two tight ends lined up tight to the right side. The handoff starts with Crowell running towards the middle of the line, but he cuts his course and tries to reach the edge. But, the Raiders set the edge and catch Crowell for just a one-yard gain.

This shot shows what Isaiah Crowell missed when he cut to the outside. Had Crowell stuck to his original route up the middle, he would have had plenty of space to gain more yardage. The offensive line provides a wide lane for Crowell to run through and seals the edges for him to not get touched until a couple yards downfield. This is just another example of Crowell contributing to the problems of the poor running game.

Highlight of the Game

In non-running game news, Gary Barnidge was the highlight of this past week’s game. Against the Oakland Raiders, Barnidge had six receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown. He was the safety net for quarterback Josh McCown on Sunday. He made a lot of big catches for the offense when the situation required a big play, including one on a fourth-down conversion in the second half. Barnidge is a sure handed tight end who can also block well.

Lowlight of the Game

The entire defense was the lowlight of the last week’s game. The Browns defense came into the season touted as one of the better units in the league. But on Sunday, the defense was unable to stop the run, put pressure on the quarterback, or cover in the passing game. The Raiders gained 469 yards of offense. The Browns defense failed in all areas of the game. The unit has underperformed so far this season, leaving many more questions than answers.