Film Room: Breaking Down Browns Diverse Rushing Attack

How the Cleveland Browns have become a deadly running team, even when things don't click.

Since Kevin Stefanski was hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, his mission has been to give the franchise an identity. That identity is to run the football. 

Everyone in the league knows, but few have been able to stop the Browns over the past two seasons. 

In 2021, the Browns lead the NFL in yards per attempt with a staggering 5.1 figure. If the Pittsburgh Steelers aim to keep their playoff hopes alive, they'll need to neutralize the Browns ground attack once again.

Let's dive into a couple of the Browns' signature run game concepts that make their offense so dangerous. 

Outside Zone

This is a staple of the Stefanski offense, not just because of what it does for their run game but also the bootleg play action passes that they match it with. 

Outside zone is a fundamental horizontal concept that stretches the defense sideline to sideline. The "aiming" point for the running back is typically wherever the tight end is lined up. Once the running back approaches the line of scrimmage, he reads the leverage of the defenders and then decides to either bounce it outside, bend it upfield or bang the cutback.

In this example below, Cleveland is in 12-personnel with Nick Chubb in the backfield. As you notice the lineman all moving sideways, pay attention to Joey Bosa- the end man on the line of scrimmage for the Chargers. 

With Bosa maintaining outside leverage and keeping contain, Chubb makes the right decision to bend this upfield for a great gain. The guard/tackle combo block on the 3T creates a nice hole and the center does a great job reaching and walling off the mike linebacker in the process.

Counter

You don't see many teams in the National Football League run counter very often for various reasons, one being that they take so long to develop. The Browns run counter plays several different ways and more than any other team in the NFL with 42 carries on the season for a whopping 230 yards, per sports info solutions. When things have time to develop, these can not only hit but hit big.

A few weeks ago, Cleveland terrorized Baltimore with the counter play. On this play below, Cleveland is going to run counter to the weak side, pulling the LG and TE from the opposite side. 

The LG is responsible for kicking out the unblocked end man on the line of scrimmage while the tight end is wrapping upfield looking for the linebacker. Baltimore actually plays this extremely well, with the linebacker diagnosing this play quickly and shooting the gap before the tight end can fully engage him. 

This is where having an elite running back helps, though. Chubb is able to make a jump cut to the inside before then electing to bounce this thing all the way outside for a substantial gain. Elite vision, agility and instincts on display here from one of the leagues best ball carriers.

Sweep

The Cleveland offense is also unique in their approach to using sweeps on offense. Their 47 runs on sweep plays more than double the next highest team in the NFL while averaging over six yards per carry, according to SIS. The Browns interior offensive line of Bitonio, Tretter and Teller are all fantastic athletes that excel when out in space. 

While Teller isn't able to reach the 0T on this rep below, allowing immediate penetration in the backfield on this play, you can see the talents of the other two on display. 

Bitonio is going to easily kick this poor defensive back right out of the play while Tretter is able to climb to the second level. Once there, he's able to get his eyes back inside and seal this inside linebacker off, creating a monster hole for Johnson to run through. 

Speaking of Johnson, he's came out of nowhere to prove himself in the league. Averaging 5.7 yards per carry, he flashes frequently on tape as a guy who's always looking to finish runs with physicality.

The Steelers will need to commit as many resources to stopping the run as possible, even if it gives Baker Mayfield advantageous looks to beat them with his arm. That's a chance that this team will just have to take. 

When opposing teams only delegate six defenders to the box, the Browns rushing attack averages an astonishing 6.3 yards per carry. Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler will be forced to deploy Terrell Edmunds in the box more often than not.

Another obvious but crucial key to victory will be proficient tackling. Cleveland's running back trio of Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and D'ernest Johnson has broken 36 tackles this season while forcing 30 more missed tackles, according to SIS. Those figures respectively rank first and second in the NFL to date. 

The Browns offensive line does a wonderful job creating lanes up front but the running backs are just as dynamic, offering the ability to create yards on their own.

Based on the way Mayfield has been playing recently, Pittsburgh stands a great chance in coming out on top if they stop the run. A repeat performance from Week 8 where they held Cleveland to 96 rushing yards would be much appreciated from the coaching staff. Such a performance would likely keep them in the playoff race for at least a little longer.

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