Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson will get to face off agains the team that traded him, and the Cleveland Browns are definitely happy with their decision to send him packing for a first-round pick. While T-Rich has been outperformed by both Ahmad Bradshaw and current committee leader Dan Herron this season, the Browns have one of the more explosive backs in the game in Isaiah Crowell, who is the clear No. 1 guy now with Terrance West sliding back into the doghouse.
There were initially some doubts regarding Crowell’s status for this week’s game against the Colts, as he did not practice on Wednesday with a hip injury of unknown severity. As insurance, the Browns picked up Shaun Draughn, but it appears that Crowell will be good-to-go. According to the Akron Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich, the talented rookie stated, “I’ll be able to go (Sunday). It was nothing major.”
That’s certainly excellent news for the Browns, as losing Crowell would have been a huge blow. He has a favorable matchup against the Colts weak front seven, but he will need to have a strong day in order to help the Browns pull off a critical win against a team that has pretty much punched in a playoff spot in the weak AFC South. Meanwhile, the Browns are part of the active tussle in the AFC North, so every game is vital. At this point, nobody should expect Crowell to miss this week’s game, and the odds are in favor of him adding an eighth touchdown run.