Browns' Kevin Stefanski explains the lack of Quinshon Judkins against Steelers

Quinshon Judkins was hardley utilized on Sunday.

After rushing for 110 yards on 23 carries in Week Five of the 2025 season, just one week later, the Cleveland Browns gave the rookie running back just 12 touches. He finished the 23-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers with 12 rushes for 36 yards, leaving many questioning the lackluster usage of the former Ohio State tailback.

Judkins, who joined the team in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens, had gotten over 18 carries a game through the previous three games. He was on pace to be one of the top rookies in the NFL, but after getting very little time with the ball on Sunday, his development hit a wall.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski commented on the matter, backing up the notion that the 21-year-old running back wasn't able to get many rushes due to the team being down.

"Obviously, that game, being down 3 scores, precluded us from running our base offense," he said. "But he's obviously a key part of our offense."

Kevin Stefanski on Quinshon Judkins' 12 touches in Pittsburgh: 'Obviously that game, being down 3 scores, precluded us from running our base offense. But he's obviously a key part of our offense.'
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) October 13, 2025

Through five games on the year, Judkins has rushed for 383 yards and two touchdowns on 84 carries. He is currently averaging 4.6 yards an attempt and 76.6 yards per game.

Outside of the Browns' losses to the Steelers and Detroit Lions, he has taken at least one carry for over 30 yards, showcasing that burst of energy he can provide to an offense.

However, that burst cannot come if the defense is ready for it.

"Oh yeah, with the success, you know, there's different defenses," Judkins said. "Coach [Mike] Tomlin, I expected that from him to come up and scheme against me."

The Browns have shown to be one of the worst passing offenses in the league, meaning teams are only worried about the threat of them running the football. For reference, Cleveland passed the ball 52 times with rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who looked rough.

The Pittsburgh defense wasn't worried about Gabriel affecting them through the air, so they would turn to stuffing the run and holding Judkins to limited yards after the handoff. The Browns were also trailing the entire game, so turning to the passing game was perceived by Stefanski to be the only option.

The coaching staff also decided to give 40% of snaps to Jerome Ford and 18% to Dylan Sampson. A major reason for that is because Cleveland was trying to hurry up and march down the field while losing, switching in and out running backs a lot on Sunday.

After the loss, Judkins spoke to the media with frustration about the way the team played.

"Unfortunate that we didn't come out with the win," he said. "As a team, we have to find out a way to win."

Judkins has a major chance to bounce back on Sunday. Cleveland will play host to the struggling, 1-5, Miami Dolphins, who have the worst rushing defense in the NFL this season.

The Dolphins and Browns will kickoff play at 1:00 p.m. from Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, Oct. 19.