Isaiah Crowell, Not Hoyer or Gordon, Is Key to Browns' Playoff Push

When you are an NFL team trying to make a run to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, you can't be too picky with who helps you get there. For the Cleveland Browns, the key to them making the postseason is not the quarterback or any of their Pro Bowl talent, it's a 21-year-old undrafted free-agent running back.

The glamor, glory and blame will always go to quarterback Brian Hoyer or wide receiver Josh Gordon. Even cornerback Joe Haden will get credit for success and criticism for failure. All of these players certainly deserve the spotlight.

However, the one guy who may end up being the deciding factor in just how far the Browns make it this year is Isaiah Crowell. If you would have said that statement before training camp, people would have thought you were smoking from Gordon's personal stash. How could this kid who no one had heard of be making such an impact this late in the season?

The fact of the matter is the Browns are an AFC North team that plays in an outdoor stadium in a cold climate. Winds on Monday reached up to 50 mph, and it's only November. The next month will be rough for football.

Before we get to exactly why he is so important, let's examine just how unlikely this scenario really was back in July. After all, most people had no idea who the Alabama State running back was before the Browns announced his signing as an undrafted free agent.

Back in March, the Browns signed free agent Ben Tate to a two-year deal, and he looked to be the guy pegged as the workhorse running back for Kyle Shanahan's offense. He sat behind Arian Foster for years in Houston, and finally it was his time to shine. A running back with a chip on his shoulder seemed like the perfect fit for a team and coach with the same.

Then the Browns traded up in the second round of the draft to select Towson back Terrance West. It was a mild surprise after signing Tate, but depth is important when your offense revolves around running the football. After all, the past few years, the Browns have seen their running backs decimated by injury, and no one was ever able to step in and make an impact the way they needed.

It wasn't nearly the surprise that signing Crowell was, however. Most people who do not scout for the draft were unfamiliar with the back who left the University of Georgia and ended up at a small school no one in Ohio cares about. The people who did scout for the draft knew the immense level of talent the Browns were bringing in.

"

Isaiah Crowell would be a good bet. RT @mike_oconnell_: Who is this years Vontaze Burfict?

"

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) May 12, 2014


Getting signed was only part of the battle. Crowell rarely got reps in training camp and barely carried the ball in the preseason until the fourth game, when the scrubs played. To make the roster, he had to beat out two backs who actually contributed to the Browns last season in Chris Ogbonnaya and Edwin Baker. He also had to surpass a guy who many thought was on his was to being a contributing back in Dion Lewis.

He did it. He withstood that test, and now here we are heading into Week 13 of the regular season. The only backs of relevance left are Crowell and West, and Crowell seems to be the lead dog moving forward.

Crowell led the Browns in their victory on Sunday with 12 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, he had led the Browns in rushing the last two weeks. He easily leads the team with a five yards-per-carry average. That is also seventh best in the NFL.

There will most certainly be games where West is a major contributor as well—he actually had more carries than Crowell on Sunday—but this will be The Crow's show moving forward.

The reason being is that he is built for this stretch run. Crowell runs with purpose, power and punishes anyone he encounters along the way. Shanahan's offense needs a running game to set up the play-action pass, so the Browns need a consistent back they can rely upon. When every snap counts and the weather becomes a factor, getting three sure yards is more important than possibly breaking an eight-yard gain. That's what Crowell does best. He gets the sure yards.

The frigid weather and wind gusts on the shore of Lake Erie, in Buffalo and in Baltimore make up four of the Browns' last five games. They will be forced to take weather into account as any good team does. Bad weather means slippery conditions. That favors a back who is decisive and quick to the hole. That describes Crowell and not the boom-or-bust style of West.

Still to come on the Browns schedule are the fifth, eighth and 17th best rush defenses. The fifth best is Baltimore, and the Browns have to face the Ravens twice. Those games obviously mean much more because the Ravens are a divisional foe. One of the two matchups is in Week 17 and could be for a playoff spot, and possibly even the division crown.

The Browns also have to face the Cincinnati Bengals again. The Bengals run defense is not good, but that is exactly how the Browns manhandled the team the first time around. The recipe for success has been written. Now Cleveland just has to duplicate it.

Teams that last in December and find themselves playing in January are able to run the football and not turn it over. So Crowell also carries the burden in that department. If he is going to be the guy leading the charge, he has to hold on to the football. He has put the ball on the ground three times this year, losing one of those. That cannot continue.

There is no longer an argument over whether or not the Browns are a legitimate playoff contender. They are. They are heading into Week 13 and have a 7-4 record. They are just a half-game out of first in their division and behind in the wild card because of tiebreakers. This is real.

The question now is whether they can keep the momentum rolling into the postseason. If it is going to happen, then they need to throw a saddle on the back of Crowell and ride him to the Promised Land. Workhorses were born to run in December.