Cleveland Browns: Rookie key to success in run game

The key player to the Cleveland Browns success in the running game against the Buffalo Bills was rookie left guard Austin Corbett.

The Cleveland Browns weren’t terribly successful offensively against the Buffalo Bills overall, but their running game was substantially better than it was the previous week against the New York Giants. That is to say, it went from a non-factor against the Giants to something potent against the Bills. Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb were more effective and Duke Johnson played, but the biggest change was the play from their second-round rookie Austin Corbett.

When Joel Bitonio was moved to left tackle, that created a spot for Corbett to play at left guard as it was becoming pretty clear he couldn’t be an NFL tackle, despite playing it in college. Guard is much different from tackle. Certainly, there’s a little less ground to cover as a pass blocker, but the contact is immediate and from bigger, stronger players.

Corbett’s first preseason game against the Giants was solid in pass protection, but he wasn’t generating much movement in the running game, even against the second and third stringers as he played into the early fourth quarter. Against the Bills, Corbett was outstanding.

Bitonio, J.C. Tretter and Chris Hubbard all seem to be very solid players. The running game uses them, but the guard position is critical to its success. Whether it’s base blocking or some type of pull, there’s pretty much a guard at the center of the play. And with Kevin Zeitler dealing with a calf injury, the Browns have Spencer Drango at right guard, who has been terrible, so it was up to Corbett.

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Whether it was Hyde, Duke or Chubb, virtually every run of any consequence was running behind Corbett. Kicking out on counter, wrapping around and leading on leads or simply just running behind a man-on-man blocking, Corbett was at the center of all of it.

And for the first time in a game situation, the Corbett that played at Nevada looked like the Corbett the Browns hope to get: Quick, powerful, nasty, confident and a finisher. He and Tretter dominated the Bills defensive front. And that left side of the line is still figuring itself out in terms of timing and chemistry. There are some occasional blips that show they are just a little off that should only get ironed out with time and reps.

The hope is, when Zeitler gets back, the Browns can run successfully to both directions, but Corbett will still be integral to the running game’s success. Zeitler is a mauler and a phone booth guy. He struggles to pull effectively, so Corbett will be at the center of most every running play one way or another.

For all of the uncertainty with a hasty plan that had Bitonio move to left tackle in August and Zeitler’s injury, the emergence of Corbett could make an enormous difference in stabilizing the line. It would be similar to when Bitonio was drafted out of Nevada in 2014 and was put in between Joe Thomas and Alex Mack.

The Browns offense needs to be predicated on running the football, so if Corbett can establish himself as a good left guard in that respect, it will aid in that effort significantly and aid in Bitonio’s development as a pass protecting left tackle. When everyone is healthy, that would give the Browns an effective front five and hopefully the engine they need to pound opponents on the ground, opening up the playaction passing game.

With two games to go before the opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the hope is that Austin Corbett will build on this game and be ready to excel when the season starts.