The Cleveland Browns managed to have a relatively middle-of-the-pack rushing attack in 2023. This was despite a season-ending injury to Nick Chubb in Week 2, in addition to various injuries on their offensive line. But there is one area that they were among the league’s worst last year, and that must change next season.
That area? Percentage of runs by a running back that did not gain yards. 23% of these rushing attempts failed to gain yards, a number that is far from acceptable. Cleveland was tied with three others (Giants, Jets, Cardinals), while only one team was worse (Jacksonville). Interestingly enough, the Browns were the only team among this group to make the postseason.
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While the success rate of Cleveland’s ground game was not ideal, and Chubb’s injury was a major factor. Going from Chubb to a combination of Kareem Hunt, Jerome Ford, and Pierre Strong is a massive downgrade. Their work was admirable to get Cleveland’s ground game to be relatively average, but there is such a difference in what they can provide versus Chubb.
Obviously, a healthy Chubb and offensive line should lead to a better success rate next season. This will take pressure off of Deshaun Watson to do everything himself and hopefully result in better offensive production overall. If not, concerns about the offense’s viability moving forward will only grow in number and volume.