The Cleveland Browns are 3-1, but their promising start has come with a problem that could catch up with them: a running game that has not provided enough support for the offense or enough control late in games. Locked On Browns host Doug Durocher argued that Cleveland needs a rapid turnaround on the ground to make its early record sustainable.
Durocher said the Browns rank 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry at 3.7 — figures he said are inflated by quarterback Deshaun Watson’s scrambling production. He said Cleveland’s running backs have produced fewer than 60 yards per game and 3.5 yards per carry, putting the heaviest scrutiny on running back Quinshon Judkins, whom Durocher credited with 177 rushing yards at a 3.0-yard average.
Durocher did not place the issue solely on Judkins. He pointed to an offensive line that replaced all five starters from last season and includes two rookies, arguing that cohesion remains a work in progress. The host cited ESPN’s run block win rate, saying Cleveland ranked 27th at 71%.
The Browns did rush for 112 yards in their Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Durocher said their inability to run out the clock forced another fourth-quarter comeback. Cleveland has won three straight games in comeback fashion, which Durocher viewed as evidence of clutch execution rather than luck. He also warned that a team cannot depend on late-game rescues while failing to establish a reliable rushing threat.
Sunday offers a useful test. Cleveland travels to face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 11, with kickoff for the Week 5 contest scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Durocher called New York’s run defense a potential get-right matchup after it allowed 232 rushing yards to the Chicago Bears last weekend. A stronger performance from Judkins and the rebuilt line would give the Browns more than another close-game escape route; it would give their passing attack and play-action game the balance Durocher believes they need.
A win over the Jets would move Cleveland to 4-1, but the more revealing result may be whether the Browns can create rushing production early, protect a lead late and reduce the burden on Watson’s improvisation.
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