It's been an up and down season for Browns running back Jerome Ford.
For a while, despite losing Nick Chubb to a gruesome knee injury back in Week 2, Cleveland stltill found itself near the top of the league in rushing yards per game, utilizing a committee of Ford and veteran Kareem Hunt.
However, since Joe Flacco took over at quarterback five weeks ago the Browns offense has become pass heavy, with the 38-year old throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 TDs over that span. For the season, they're offense is throwing the ball 56-percent of the time, over the last five weeks though that figure is up to 62-percent.
On Thursday night, during the Browns playoff clinching win over the Jets, Ford out together his best outing in six weeks with 64 yards rushing and a 5.3 yards per carry average. He didn't stop there though, taking it upon himself to make a play in the passing game.
His 50-yard TD reception in the second quarter was one of the highlights of the night, as he stayed open for Flacco, who escaped the pocket to his left and sprinted toward the sideline. Before crossing the line of scrimmage, the 16-year veteran flicked a pass to Ford along the sideline who caught it, turned up field and broke multiple tackles on his way to the end zone for a huge score that it put Cleveland up 34-14.
The effort to find the end zone on what looked like w broken play initially was one of the most impressive parts of the play, but Ford's favorite thing from the highlight actually had nothing to do with him.
"If you look at the very end of the play, you can see Marquise Goodwin shoot across the field and just knock somebody out and I feel like that was a big help on that touchdown," the second-year tailback said. I" didn't realize it until I watched the game on film, I'm like 'dang, you really smacked that dude.' So yeah, that's my favorite part of that play."
Goodwin's block on Solomon Thomas will certainly catch someone's attention watching the play back. It also speaks to the unselfish mindset of the team this season, as Goodwin was willing to do anything just to make sure his teammate scored.
That mentality and togetherness is perhaps the main reason the Browns are 11-5 and in the playoffs for the second time in four years.
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