3 ways to fix the Browns and Baker Mayfield

2. Lean more on Nick Chubb

Chubb is already the feature back for the Browns, but that doesn’t mean he’s operating at full strength. He’s got the size and strength to handle more than the 19 carries per game he’s gotten on the season. The more times the former Georgia running back gets the ball, the easier it’s going to be for Mayfield and his receivers to make plays.

This doesn’t mean the Browns should try to line up and ground their opponents into submission with a punishing ground game. Instead, the team’s coaching staff needs to find more ways to get Chubb the ball in a variety of fashions. He isn’t the shiftiest back in the NFL, but his straight line speed is a marvel behold.

Giving Chubb more carries can be part of the solution, but he should also be worked into a prominent role in the team’s passing attack. A healthy dose of screens and swing passes to Chubb could really take some heat off Mayfield. It would slow down the opposing pass rush while also keeping the offense on schedule. That combination could help drive Mayfield’s interception rate down closer to the league average.

Making the offense more conservative isn’t going to thrill Beckham or Jarvis Landry, but it’s the right recipe for the Browns to start winning football games. This is a team that needs to start focusing more on the substance of Chubb than the style of its other skill players.