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Jeremy Fowler, senior NFL national reporter 9y

Browns still can't find right mix at running back

CLEVELAND -- Ten games in, the Browns seem further from a solidified running-back rotation than they did to start the year.

That doesn’t have to be problematic. Look at New England, which rarely relies on the same tailback and just watched Jonas Gray score four touchdowns on Sunday Night Football while nearly doubling his career yardage total.

But for running backs Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West and Ben Tate, this can’t be easy. Tate said as much last week, then changed his tone after a Sunday reunion with Houston in which he got two carries for minus-9 yards and was used sparingly on third downs. He said he's not unhappy.

I'm told Tate isn't hurt and isn't aware of being in any sort of doghouse. He's not sure why his workload has diminished from 20-plus carries in Weeks 5 and 6 to spot duty.

These aren’t minor tweaks by the Browns staff. These are major swings in backfield work. West carried the ball 41 times for 142 yards the previous two weeks, only to watch his production plummet to 12 yards on five carries on Sunday, prompting this coach-speak tweet Sunday night.

No player disappears and reappears quite like Crowell, whose carries the last six weeks read like lottery numbers: 11, 7, 1, 0, 12, 14

Offensive principals say they are unaffected.

“I don’t know until I get in the huddle and look who’s back there,” quarterback Brian Hoyer. “It doesn’t matter to me.” Offensive linemen block and hope for the best."

But no doubt the rotation is affecting the running backs. If there are any issues in the running backs room, the Browns must make sure they don’t permeate the locker room.

My guess is the tailback swings come down to this number: 2.4. That’s the Browns’ average per carry in the five games without Pro Bowl center Alex Mack. Since then, all three backs have essentially played first, second or third string, sometimes in that order.

Josh Gordon’s return should push a few safeties out of the box. Meanwhile, do the Browns have the big, powerful back they can rely on?

Sunday suggests they want Crowell to be that. He has six games to prove it -- or maybe it’s two games. Depends on the week. Crowell, West and Tate know that well.

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