How the Browns might fix their red zone struggles

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https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/11/how-the-browns-might-fix-their-red-zone-struggles.html

By Dan Labbe, cleveland.com

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns have struggled in the red zone and on the goal line this season, which is putting it kindly. It has been a grind for this team to finish drives.

The Browns, according to the NFL’s game stats and information site, are No. 26 in red zone percentage at 46.67 percent. Near the goal line, it’s worse. According to the NFL’s game stats and information site, the Browns are No. 29 in goal-to-go percentage at 47.37 percent. Only the Lions, Jaguars and Dolphins have been worse.

No one is asking me for advice, certainly not NFL coaches who have forgotten more about football than I’ll ever know, but here are some things we might see and the Browns might try as they look to fix their goal-line issues.

Related: What went wrong when the Browns ran eight goal line plays and failed to score

1. Keep exploring the Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt backfield

Chubb and Hunt didn’t share the field during the Bills’ goal line stand in the first quarter. They did in the second quarter. On second-and-goal, Hunt came in motion and tried to get the Bills going one way and the pitch went to Chubb. Buffalo didn’t bite and made the stop.

 

The Browns tried again, this time with a shovel pass to Chubb. Something was off here. Chubb didn’t appear ready for the shovel and Rashard Higgins and Odell Beckham, after initially blocking, ran routes. Someone was confused. This was one of those pesky poor execution situations. Still, there was a path to a touchdown there with Chubb and Hunt on the field together and there’s more to be found.There is a whole world of possibilities with this duo, whether they’re both lined up in the backfield or one of them is split out. Defenses have to account for both and there are opportunities to make a defense hesitate just enough to open up a hole for a score.

Let’s see how this develops over the final seven games.

 

2. Spread the defense out

The Browns have so many weapons at the goal line it makes the idea of spreading a defense thin enticing. They did this more during the second quarter goal-line series, but, just like the Chubb-Hunt combo, there’s still more to uncover.

The ability to run rub plays, which they tried but were unable to execute on the second-quarter series on first down, comes into play. So does thinning out the front to run Chubb or Hunt straight ahead or even allow Baker Mayfield to use his legs to get in on a draw.

The field shrinks vertically near the endzone, but the full width is still very much in play with less time for defenders forced to play wide to react and recover. The Browns have the pieces to exploit it and it wouldn’t be surprising if we see more of it moving forward.

 

3. Find balance between creativity and old-school

Freddie Kitchens’ creativity is what got him the job, and I’m reminded of Jarvis Landry’s 3-yard touchdown run against the Panthers last season, a play with misdirection and multiple options before Landry took an inside handoff and scored.

It’s hard without a true fullback on the roster, but finding a balance between the type of creativity we know the Browns can deploy and an old-school, run right at you style will help. It’s frustrating to just beat your head into a wall running straight ahead, but sometimes it works. Then again, sometimes it doesn’t. There’s a balance the Browns are still trying to find.

 

4. Getting David Njoku back will help

The tight end group simply hasn’t delivered in the red zone yet. Njoku is a weapon in close. His ability to win jump balls and give Baker Mayfield a big, athletic target will upgrade what the Browns can do near the goal line. Think back to the throw to Demetrius Harris in Denver where he failed to get his feet down in the back. Njoku makes those types of plays in the endzone. The Browns miss him.