Almost all of the attention given to the Cleveland Browns’ offense this offseason has been on its quarterback competition, followed closely by its rebuilt offensive line and standout rookie wide receivers. Almost no one mentions their running game, other than some positive reviews for Quinshon Judkins in his return from a serious leg injury.
In the Browns’ preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, that part of the attack started to get noticed, but not for a good reason. The Browns struggled to gain yards on the ground, highlighted by failures on multiple short-yardage plays.
With that in mind, analyst Tony Rizzo revealed some glaring concerns about the Browns’ run game, blaming it on the emphasis on the passing game and the revamped offensive line.
“Are you concerned that we have not seen the Browns run the football yet under Todd Monken? What they’re doing is they’re having this quarterback competition. It’s turning into some kind of passing camp. You’re gonna have to run the football with Quinshon, and you’re gonna have to block. I don’t know about this offensive line. I just don’t know. You’re replacing all five guys. That’s unheard of, to be honest,” Rizzo said.
Rizz is worried about the Browns run game after the first preseason game.
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— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 18, 2026
The Browns did average 4.0 yards per carry against the Bears, with a total of 108 yards on 27 attempts. However, 50 of those yards came on two runs by backup Davon Booth during the final drive in a blowout 34-10 loss.
With quarterback Deshaun Watson taking the field for the first time in almost two years, the Browns opened the game with three straight carries by Judkins. On a third-and-2, he was stopped for no gain, and Cleveland had to punt.
During the Browns’ second-quarter touchdown drive, facing a third-and-1 on their own 28, Dylan Sampson was tackled for no gain. Watson picked up the first down on a fourth-down QB sneak.
Then, in the third quarter, facing a fourth-and-1 on the Chicago 5-yard line, Ahmani Marshall was tackled for a 1-yard loss. It squandered the best scoring opportunity with Shedeur Sanders in the game.
Of course, a lot of this has to do with the fact that Judkins barely played, and the starting offensive line was together for less than a half. But as Rizzo said, the Browns are attempting to replace all five of their most-used starters from last season, and that adjustment could take a while.
Cleveland will get a chance to improve its running game this week in a joint practice and preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
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