Running backs are often judged by what happens after the first defender arrives. Blocking can only do so much, and the best backs create yards on their own by breaking tackles and falling forward. That is usually what separates a good runner from a great one. For the Browns, a new look at those numbers shows just how much Quinshon Judkins has had to fight for every yard this season.
Account Stat put together a chart of running back elusiveness across the league through 9 weeks, and Judkins landed well below the league average.
“How “elusive” RBs have been through week 9,” Stat Account posted.
How "elusive" RBs have been through week 9 pic.twitter.com/5MSbNwfwbz
— Stat Acccount (@AcccountStat) November 10, 2026
The chart measures 2 things for every running back with at least 45 carries, averaging numbers from 5 different sources: yards after contact per rush and avoided tackles per rush. Judkins sits in the bottom left section, which is below average in both categories.
He averages roughly 2.3 yards after contact per carry, well under the league midpoint of about 2.8. His rate of avoided tackles, at roughly 0.13 per carry, also trails the average by a wide margin. Only a handful of backs, including David Montgomery, Aaron Jones and Jacory Croskey-Merritt, grade out worse in avoided tackles.
The top of the chart shows what elite elusiveness looks like. Jahmyr Gibbs and Kenneth Walker lead the league in avoided tackles, while Jaylen Warren of the Pittsburgh Steelers leads in yards after contact. Browns fans saw that firsthand when Warren ran for 143 yards against them in Week 8.
The chart lines up with Judkins’ basic numbers. He has 385 yards on 116 carries this season, an average of just 3.3 yards per carry. That is down from 3.6 as a rookie, when he ran for 827 yards and 7 touchdowns. He has been under 3 yards per carry in each of his last 2 games.
His role has started to shift as a result. Dylan Sampson played 47 offensive snaps in New Orleans compared with 25 for Judkins, even though Judkins still had more carries.
The offensive line is a major part of this story. All 5 starters are new this season, and the Browns have struggled to open running lanes all year.
Still, the avoided tackles number falls more on Judkins himself. Making the first defender miss is something a lead back has to do, regardless of the blocking in front of him.
The Browns host the Houston Texans on Sunday. A strong game from Judkins would go a long way toward quieting questions about his future role.
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