This Young Offensive Player Was the Unsung Hero in Baltimore

Complete Performance Start to Finish

The second-year pro out of Cincinnati had his best game of his season, posting 107 rushing yards on 17 carries, as well as a two-yard catch. He had an average of 6.3 yards per carry and a long rush of 28. However, this was not his most meaningful run.

After a huge run by quarterback Deshaun Watson to get the Browns to the Baltimore 39, the ball was now going to be in Ford’s hands. He did not disappoint, turning what could have been a few yards into a huge 12-yard run, with some help from the entire team. Ford put himself into a position where he would not go down, and the rest of the offense rallied behind him.

The Browns had missed the extra point on their previous possession and touchdown. They wanted every yard they could get for their kicker as they trailed by one. This run, along with a few more yards, set up kicker Dustin Hopkins to win it from the Baltimore 22-yard line. Hopkins nailed the kick, sealed the win, and the Browns are 6-3 thanks in part to running back Jerome Ford.

Running Back Jerome Ford is Leading the Backfield

The 100-yard game by Ford was his second this season and his first since Week 2. He had one less yard with 106 yards in that early contest. Ford has been very up and down when you break down his yards per carry and has received a variety of touches through nine games.

He has had games with 18, 26, and 36 yards, but also 107, 106, and 84 yards. The carries have not always correlated to yards, as he got 20 carries the previous game but had just 44 yards on the ground. He has seen similar production patterns in the receiving aspect of his game.

With playmakers on the outside making plays, the Browns running backs should see better production per touch. Opposing defenses will need to honor the arm of Watson more as he improves. If the Browns can continue playing like this, with running back Jerome Ford leading the backfield with strong, powerful runs, they will see themselves in the postseason in the near future.