Hoyer vs. Manziel won't matter much if Browns can't get one thing straightened out

Published Dec. 1, 2014 5:21 p.m. ET

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Connor Kiesel

The 2014 Cleveland Browns' formula for success is relatively simple: run the ball well and win.

In a 26-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills Sunday, the Browns could not get much of a semblance of a ground game going - and it wasn't the first time that's happened this season.

As the city of Cleveland anxiously waits for head coach Mike Pettine's decision between Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel as the team's starting quarterback, the fact is neither will succeed in the season's final four weeks without a good rushing attack to back him up.

That's proven in the wins and losses this season.

Only twice have these Browns been able to garner a victory in spite of paltry rushing numbers - and both came against two of football's worst teams.

Hosting the Oakland Raiders in Week 8, the Browns managed just 39 total rushing yards on 25 carries but were catapulted by a 3-to-nil turnover margin. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers game one week later was a rare situation in which the turnover battle was even and the Browns didn't run well but were able to seize control of the game through the air, Hoyer throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns in a five-point win.

BROWNS RUSHING STATS IN WINS

In the Browns' five other triumphs, it's been the ground game that has fueled the cause. Six times this season, the Browns have rushed for more than 100 total yards. Only once in those instances have they lost, Week 1 vs. the Steelers when they rushed for 191 yards but lost on a last-second field goal (the Browns defense allowing more than 500 yards didn't help the cause there).

The Browns' statement victory in primetime in Cincinnati in Week 10 was defined by the then-three headed monster of Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, the trio which combined for 169 yards on 48 carries (Hoyer added four carries for one yard to the total). Each of the backs also hit pay dirt that night.

Tate has since been released, leaving the workload on the shoulders of the two rookie backs, who have each had moments where they've displayed plenty of potential. Their sample without Tate has been mixed thus far, excelling against a weak Atlanta rush defense but struggling to get through Buffalo's top 10 unit.

Without a lynchpin of the line, center Alex Mack, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 6, the Browns' efforts have been admirable despite their up-and-down nature. However, at 7-5, in the mix of a wadded AFC playoff race, the margin for error is razor thin - and the competition will not be easy down the stretch.

BROWNS RUSHING STATS IN LOSSES

Ahead for the Browns are three AFC playoff contenders, along with one free-falling NFC South opponent. But of those four, only the Baltimore Ravens sport a defense that allows less than 100 rushing yards per game. The Indianapolis Colts (14th in rushing defense), Cincinnati Bengals (25th) and Carolina Panthers (20th) can all be exploited on the ground. Baltimore may be the exception as their top five rush defense is countered by a 31st ranked passing defense.

So, how does the quarterback position figure into all of this? Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense incorporates play action as a key factor. Shanahan's zone rushing scheme baits the opposing defense and opens up receivers for high percentage looks.

The Browns saw firsthand how dangerous Shanahan's offense can be when clicking two seasons ago when Kirk Cousins came into Cleveland and hoodwinked the Browns defense using the play action to full effect.

Hoyer too has found success at times in this system, much of it predicated on the ability of the offensive line and guys in the backfield to establish the run, opening up the play action possibilities. In the Browns' best performances this year, that aforementioned win at Cincinnati and at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6, Hoyer threw the ball less than 25 times. He needed to complete only eight passes as the Browns took down Pittsburgh 31-10.

Whoever the signal caller is - Hoyer, Manziel, hey, let's throw in Connor Shaw from the practice squad for kicks (just kidding) - will need a solid, dependable run game to help the Browns reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

While a quarterback controversy always makes for good fodder and this one holds plenty of water for the Browns future, the culmination of this season's run starts first and foremost with the run.

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