The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Crowell: Team needs to run the ball more
Running back Isaiah Crowell is in a contract year, and he wants more touches. “Of course (I think about that),” he said of his free agency after the season.
Like every running back in the NFL, Isaiah Crowell believes the best way for his team to win is for him to smash through the opposing defensive line with the football in his hands and then run over a linebacker on the way to a first down or touchdown.
Two games into the season, the Browns’ fourthyear running back hasn’t done much smashing and hasn’t been running over many linebackers. He tells himself it’s early, but every game that goes by and he doesn’t have a big day, he envisions the contract offer he will get as a free agent next winter getting smaller and smaller.
“Of course (I think about that),” Crowell said in the Browns locker room before practice on Sept. 20. “During the game, before the game, after the game. Right now — all the time. It’s just obvious to think about.
“I feel it’s best for the team to run the ball more. I feel it will help (quarterback DeShone Kizer) out, but at the same time he’s a rookie quarterback. People expect us to run the ball more so they load the box and try to prevent us from running the ball so much and try to make him throw the ball.”
Crowell said he has talked to Jackson without whining about his lack of opportunities. He had 17 carries for 33 yards in the opener and 10 carries for 37 yards against the Ravens.
“I feel like I’m a great player,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence in myself and I feel like I can help my team be successful. I wouldn’t say I’m upset with the play-calling, but I question it. But I’m just a player. I don’t cross those boundaries. I just control what I can control.” Jackson’s response: “I have no problem with anybody walking in the office and saying, ‘Coach, give me the ball,’ ” Jackson said. “Now, that being said, you better make the plays when you get them, OK? There’s another responsibility that comes with that. I start handing it to you 2530 times, I’m looking for 160-150 yards and a couple of long scores. That is just how we do it.
“I said we’re going to run the football, and when we are ready to, we will. I think we’re moving in that direction, and I think we will be there when the time comes.”
Kizer and Kevin Hogan have combined for 72 pass attempts and have been sacked a combined 10 times for a total of 82 pass plays. The Browns have run the ball 46 times, but 10 of those were by Kizer and at least half of those could be regarded as scrambles, which makes the imbalance even bigger — 86 designed pass plays and 41 runs, better than a 2 to 1 ratio.
Many factors go into the imbalance. None includes a conspiracy to decrease Crowell’s value when he hits unrestricted free agency.
The Browns fell behind the Steelers, 21-10, with 5:37 left in the third quarter of the opener. They trailed the Ravens, 24-10, at halftime.
Falling behind by two touchdowns should not be an issue on Sept. 24 when the Browns visit the Colts in Indianapolis. The Colts, 0-2 like the Browns, have totaled 19 points in two games. But the Colts’ run defense ranks second in the league. Opponents are averaging just 2.5 yards a carry. The longest run they allowed in the first two games was 12 yards.
Crowell rushed for 952 yards last season, so the talent is there. Plus, the Browns invested heavily in the offensive line by signing center JC Tretter and right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency. The line, however, never played as a complete unit until it faced the Steelers in the opener.