Browns Look To Be Expanding Beyond Two and Three-Headed Running Schemes

The Cleveland Browns have already told the media that they want to run the ball in 2010 and carry the momentum the team had in their running attack from the final four victories of the 2009 season.

Most NFL teams have moved away from the traditional "featured back" model on offense to run with a complementary back to share the burden of all the pounding throughout an NFL season.

Of those teams that featured a two-back model and had both rush for over 500 yards in 2009, only five of the 12 teams actually made the playoffs.

On the other hand there were only four teams in 2009 who had three players rush for over 300 yards and of those four teams, three of them made the playoffs.

The playoff teams included: the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and the Dallas Cowboys.

The non-playoff team was the Browns, who had Jerome Harrison, Jamal Lewis, and Josh Cribbs all run for over 300 yards.

This three-headed approach to running the ball is a way of having three unique running backs for special situations whether it be for a certain down and distance, a third and long, and so on.

Even though this may be a quarterback and passing league, having specialized running backs to spread the ball around to is obviously one of the small keys to winning games, getting to the playoffs, and possibly winning the Super Bowl as the Saints did with their three-headed running attack last year.

With the Browns admitting that their focus is running the ball, they went out and beefed up their running attack in more ways than one.

Already having breakout performer Harrison on board (pending re-signing to a new deal) along with 2009 promising rookie James Davis and Wildcat specialist Cribbs, the Browns added rookie runner Montario Hardesty, bruiser Peyton Hillis, and another Wildcat specialist in Seneca Wallace.

Just thinking about all these players, they all probably will not run for over 300 yards, but there is a very good chance that the Browns could be the only team in the NFL with three or more runners who could get over 300 yards each.

The scariest formation to think about right now has got to be the Cribbs-Wallace Wildcat formation which both Cribbs and head coach Eric Mangini have confirmed for 2010.

The Browns are still in their rebuilding mode and are still at least another season or two away from heavy contention, but having a prolific running attack in 2010 could catch teams off guard and get the Browns a couple victories for the win column.

Opposing teams planning for two or three different runners may be in for a surprise since the Browns could run more than six different players at them in 2010.

This deep running attack could also help the Browns young wide receivers open to jump-start the passing attack as well.

It could all run hand-in-hand and the Browns could have a surprisingly good offense this upcoming year.