There’s good news and bad news with Ben Tate’s knee injury that took him out of the Week 1 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The good news? Tate won’t need surgery to heal from a knee sprain. The bad news? He will still miss two to four weeks, per the NFL’s Ian Rapoport.
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This was supposed to be the year Ben Tate finally emerged as a big-time running back in the NFL, and it still may very well be. He’ll just have to wait until October to make it happen. The Browns meanwhile shouldn’t panic. Terrance West tallied 100 yards at Heinz Field in Week 1 and Isaiah Crowell punched in two touchdowns.
The two backs fueled Cleveland’s second-half rally that saw them come back from a 27-3 deficit to tie the game before losing on a field goal as time expired. If the Browns lose in Tate’s absence, it likely won’t be because the running game failed to bring it.
The Browns will be looking to establish the running game early in Week 2 as they host the New Orleans Saints in their home opener. Cleveland will want to keep the ball away from Drew Brees and company so expect West and Crowell to get plenty of work early in an effort to control the ball.