The Browns offense was much better Sunday, scoring 23 points in the Week 2 win over the Buccaneers.
It still has one important area that needs significant improvement.
The Browns rushed for 44 yards on 23 carries, averaging 1.9 an attempt. That follows 87 yards on 22 attempts, a 4.0 average, in the opening loss to the Jaguars.
They’re 31st in the NFL with 65.5 yards a game.
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“We are what the statistics bear out and we got to scheme it better,” coach Todd Monken said Monday. “We got to coach it better. We got to call it better, and we certainly can block it better. We had a few other opportunities out there that we left on the field, but it’s not good enough.”
Things have been so bad, quarterback Deshaun Watson led the team in rushing each game with 38 in the opener and 22 on Sunday. Running back Quinshon Judkins has carried 12 times in each game for 54 total yards and a 2.3 average. His long is 9 yards, and rookie receiver KC Concepcion tops the team with a 10-yarder.
“It’s just all of our first time being together and just trying to figure out, just getting on the same page and just correcting the issues this far throughout our first two games,” Judkins said. “It’s really earlier on through the year, so I don’t get discouraged by it and just continue to put my best foot forward.”
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The Browns have gone through a lot of changes from last season. Monken, his staff and all five starting linemen are new.
“It’s a lot different from last year, not so much so schematically, but you got a group of new guys, got new coaches,” Judkins said. “So just trying to go out there and really figure out what we’re good at and what our identity will be and what it is. So just trying to put good things on tape and bring it all together.”
The Ravens led the NFL in rushing from 2023-25 with Monken as coordinator at 166.9 yards a game.
DECISION TIME
Monken made a couple of decisions Sunday that were second-guessed even before they failed. He explained and defended them Monday.
In the second quarter he challenged whether a short Buccaneers completion was a catch.
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“Between third-and-4 and third-and-8 to me is pretty big,” he said. “And between upstairs and myself, we didn’t think he got the third foot down on the first view, and then we got a second view. I was like, ‘Well, maybe he did.’
“I don’t regret it. The call sheet’s different from third-and-4 to third-and-8. You could argue, ‘Well, was it really worth it for a 4-yard gain?’ It’s early in the game, getting off the field was important to me and I just happened to be wrong.”
He went for it on fourth-and-1 later in the second quarter from the Cleveland 34-yard line, and Judkins was stuffed for no gain, setting up a Buccaneers field goal.
“I’m going to go for it again when we have inches to go,” Monken said. “In that situation, we probably would’ve run the sneak, but after botching that, that wasn’t an option.
“I’m going to be aggressive. I’m going to play to win the game, and I’m more disappointed in our execution of it, on our decision maybe in the type of play. I don’t want to give the ball back to them when it’s inches. We have to be able to sneak it and we have to be able to get it when the opportunity arises.”
THAT’S MORE LIKE IT
The defense made major strides from Week 1 to Week 2, holding the Bucs to one touchdown and Baker Mayfield to 182 yards passing after allowing 34 points to the Jaguars.
“Obviously we were more aggressive, but we cleaned up a lot of things and the players played better,” Monken said. “There was a little bit of shock that went into playing a really good football team to start the year, and I think guys made significant progress. Carson (Schwesinger) had missed a lot of training camp and he played a lot better. He was defensive player of the game this week. And I thought Mason (Graham) played better. He knew he could play better.”
FIGHTING THROUGH
Cornerback Tyson Campbell started the game despite being listed as questionable and not practicing Thursday with an ankle injury. He played 49 of 65 snaps and didn’t return after an awkward fall following a collision in the end zone. He was listed with hip and ankle injuries.
“He’s got a number of things he’s dealing with,” Monken said. “He fought all game to continue to play, and if I know Tyson, he’s going to work this week as hard as he can to get back. And we’ll see as the week goes on where he’s at, but I like his chance to be able to play based on how he’s wired.”
