The Cleveland Browns’ offense was a massive question mark heading into the season. Fans and analysts alike weren’t sure what to make of it, especially when considering their new pieces on the offensive line and the early-round additions to their wide receiver room. Plus, the announcement of Deshaun Watson as the Week 1 starting QB didn’t exactly inspire confidence, but people wanted to wait and see how everything turned out.
While it has not been the prettiest or the most efficient, the Browns’ offense has done enough to keep them competitive, and they have a 5-3 record through eight weeks. They are coming off a frustrating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game where a lot of these preseason concerns came to light, but they are 5-3 nonetheless.
The run game has been a pleasant surprise, as Quinshon Judkins is leading the way with 101 carries for 342 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry. He has nearly double the number of carries as the Browns’ second-leading rusher, which happens to be Watson, and it’s clear that the team has trusted him with the ball in his hands.
Despite it being the Judkins show to this point, the Browns’ coaching staff took a different approach this week, with Dylan Sampson getting most of the snaps.
“#Browns Week 8 RB Usage – Dylan Sampson: 56% snaps, 1 carry, 27 routes, 8 targets (69 yds) – Quinshon Judkins: 39% snaps, 11 carries, 8 routes, 2 targets (49 yds),” Michael Florio wrote.
#Browns Week 8 RB Usage
– Dylan Sampson: 56% snaps, 1 carry, 27 routes, 8 targets (69 yds)
– Quinshon Judkins: 39% snaps, 11 carries, 8 routes, 2 targets (49 yds)— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) November 2, 2026
Judkins obviously had a lot more carries in this game, but he played significantly fewer snaps than Sampson, which could be alarming to some fans. Judkins has been their leading rusher all year, and on paper, it could look like they’re wanting to go away from him moving forward.
However, the Browns were trailing for most of the game, putting themselves in a negative game script. This naturally lends itself to a more pass-heavy approach, and Sampson is better known for his pass-catching chops than Judkins.
It appears that the team was looking for a spark plug from Sampson to help them pull this one out in the passing game, but it didn’t end up working out. Unless something drastic changes in the coming weeks, Judkins should resume his role as the bell cow in this offense, barring another week where the Browns are trailing by double digits.
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