Cleveland Browns offense hasn’t been what they had hoped for it to be this season but they could soon strike in a unique way.
The Browns have been utilizing C Nick Harris as a fullback in the backfield to provide an extra blocker. In Week 8, Harris leaked out into the end zone but the ball did not come to him.
“Pretty good. He hasn’t got a ball yet, but we want to get him one here now. He’s doing a great job,” All-Pro G Joel Bitonio said during his media availability Thursday.
Harris has played 68 offensive snaps for the Browns this season in seven games. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has found a unique way to utilize his backup center who once was set to be the starter. Before the 2022 season, Harris was set to be the starter but suffered an injury that caused him to miss the entirety of the season. Ethan Pocic came about and took over the job and never looked back. Harris has remained valuable to Cleveland.
“I mean, that’s a guy that was a starter, really, since he’s been here, he’s practiced like a starter because JC (Tretter) was a little bit banged up when he was here and then obviously, he’s gotten hurt a couple of times. But we think of him as our sixth lineman, and for him to get on the field and kind of take that role as a fullback, but also be able to be our backup center is huge because not very many teams put a fullback on the roster, so it’s been good for him.”
The Browns got a ‘big boy’ touchdown in 2020 when reserve lineman Kendall Lamm scored from a yard out.
“I would get excited,” Bitonio said if Harris was to score. I didn’t know what option he was on the route. Sometimes you put in a play and it’s like 1, 2, 3, 4, run, and then Nick’s your fifth option, you know what I mean? So there’s a little bit of a tree there, but no, I mean, we had Kendall Lamm score a touchdown, I think three or four years ago when he was playing tight end. So, him or James (Hudson III) or someone gets a touchdown, I think the O line will get pretty excited.”
On the season the Browns wide receivers have just one touchdown to their name. Perhaps the Browns can get in the tick bag and score in a unique way to a 300-pound lineman to get the offense flowing.
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