Kareem Hunt's Declining Impact within Browns Offense
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The victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers illuminated just how far Kareem Hunt has fallen within the Cleveland Browns offense. Nick Chubb touched the ball 27 times for 132 total yards and a touchdown whereas Hunt touched the ball just six times for 21 yards. This is part of a noticeable trend that shows the Browns deemphasizing Hunt as a ball carrier over the course of the season, which begs the question, where should the Browns go from here?
In the first five games of the season, Hunt averaged 49.4 rushing yards, 16.6 yards receiving. In the past six, Hunt is averaging 19 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards. Hunt had at least 10 carries in every single of those first five games. Since then, he had 11 carries against the Cincinnati Bengals, but had no more than six in the other five contests.
To be fair, Nick Chubb's production has dipped as well. Undoubtedly, the schedule has gotten more difficult which has made an impact as teams are forcing the Browns to pass more. Chubb averaged 118.6 rushing yards in the first five games, which has dropped to 74.3 the last six.
The difference is the amount of effort the Browns are taking to try to get Chubb involved in the Browns offense. Some of the receiving touches that were going to Hunt are going to Chubb. In the five games where Chubb averaged 118.6 yards rushing, he only averaged 7.4 yards per receiving. Most of that came in the game against the New York Jet where Chubb caught three passes for 26 yards.
That number has almost tripled to 19.6 yards per game receiving the last six games. Only the Bengals game did Chubb have under ten receiving yards. The Browns are not only getting the ball to Chubb as a receiver more, but are using him on more aggressive routes further down the field in addition to screens and the occasional dump off. With a decline in rushing yards, it would make sense to find other ways to get Chubb the ball since he is the most dangerous weapon on the team.
On the season, Chubb has 17 receptions for 152 yards compared to Hunt's 23 receptions for 157 yards. This stands out as in the other three seasons these two have been together, Hunt has basically doubled Chubb's receiving production.
Rookie David Bell is also getting some of the touches that might have gone to Hunt. In the last four games, Bell has 13 receptions for 96 yards and four receptions in each of the past two games. The previous seven games, Bell averaged just one reception per game. It's not just that Bell is catching passes, but where he's catching the ball. A lot of them are in short areas of the field where a running back might have caught passes.
Hunt continues to have value to the Browns is in his ability to pass protect and his threat as a receiver even if his production has dipped. His snaps have decreased slightly over the course of the season, but he's only been on the field less than 40 percent of offensive snaps once. And while his rushing hasn't been great, he still has his moments. Hunt had a 9-yard run in which has ran over a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender and his fullback dive converted a fourth down. He had some strong runs against the Buffalo Bills as well. The consistency simply isn't there and there are too many zero plays.
Perhaps the most concerning element is that the Browns are utilizing more gap concepts in their running game, something that should cater to Hunt's strengths. His vision has never been good and was always a stumbling block in zone looks where he was tasked with picking the right running lane, but he was explosive on runs where he had a designated path to follow. Even that is decreasingly the case.
As Deshaun Watson prepares to take the helm of the offense, the pass protection element is critical. The Browns don't need their $230 million investment getting maimed by a pass rusher that wasn't picked up by a back. That would suggest that Hunt's usage will remain steady.
However, the presence of Watson is also going to impact how defenses play the Browns. The Browns are far less likely to face single-high defenses with the opponent playing man coverage across the board as the Bucs just did. So if teams play back to stay honest to Watson, that should open up more running lanes as should his own capacity to run the ball. Chubb stands to benefit the most, but if teams are playing more two-high looks and leaving more space for the running game, that could help Hunt.
However, if he's still relatively pedestrian, the Browns might be more open to utilizing D'Ernest Johnson or rookie Jerome Ford. It would allow Chubb to stay fresher and force the opponent to account for more threats. Johnson has been an excellent runner for the Browns, especially in their wide zone scheme. More space could make that more viable, allowing him to pick the hole he wants to attack while anticipating defenders attacking downhill.
Meanwhile, Ford is a creator with the ball in his hands. That was showcased in the preseason as a running back, but continues to be evident on kick return where he's provided a spark. Ford is also a good pass catcher out of the backfield, which was arguably his best attribute as member of the Cincinnati Bearcats. He has to learn to pass protect effectively, but he can help spread out the defense and open up the middle of the field.
Coaches are always going to prioritize pass protection out of the backfield because they don't want to be tip their hand in their play calling as well as the fact the quarterback's safety is a top priority. But between Watson's threat with his legs that can keep opponents honest and his credibility as a passer, the Browns might feel more confident in exploring what these other backs can do. Seemingly, Johnson and Ford are the future behind Chubb, so it behooves them to start getting them more involved.
Hunt's violent running style with little regard for his body has made him a dangerous player, but has subjected him to plenty of physical punishment and injuries which have accelerated his physical decline. Hunt still has a role within the Browns offense, but the should be exploring how they can get more production out of the position from someone other than Chubb.
