Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio is back for Year 12 off the shores of Lake Erie.
The perennial Pro Bowler is itching to get back to a run game that bludgeoned opponents in Kevin Stefanski's early days.
"For me, it feels like a 2020, 2021 install of the outside zone with power schemes mixed in, which I think is a strength of what our O-line does," Bitonio said on Monday, via Cleveland.com.
The Browns have been a strong running team for much of Stefanski's tenure. In 2020, his first season, the Browns ranked fourth in rushing attempts, third in rushing yards and fifth in yards per attempt. In 2021, those marks were ninth, fourth and first, respectively. For the first four years under Stefanski, Cleveland never finished outside the top 10 in rushing attempts.
Then came 2024.
A disjointed Browns offense ranked 28th in rushing attempts, 29th in rushing yards and 23rd in yards per attempt. The down numbers led to an offseason of change.
Cleveland fired Ken Dorsey and hired Tommy Rees as offensive coordinator. Stefanski took back play-calling. The Browns said goodbye to Nick Chubb; drafted two running backs, Quinshon Judkins (Round 2) and Dylan Sampson (Round 4), and a tight end (Harold Fannin Jr. in Round 3); and added veteran depth to the offensive line. While the quarterback position remains unsettled, all four potential options can benefit from a sustained ground attack.
Bitonio said that a return to more of the 2020-21 outside zone game plan fits the offensive line well.
"We're a little bit older, but (right tackle) Jack (Conklin) comes from that outside zone," the seven-time Pro Bowler said. "(Right guard) Wyatt (Teller) is one of the better pullers, power blockers in the league. (Center Ethan Pocic) can kind of do it all, but I think it fits us so much better."
Bitonio knows that it remains a passing league but is a firm believer that the rushing attack will help make the entire offense more efficient after last year's struggles.
"You still have to pass the ball to win in this league, but if you can have a brand of, like, we're going to take care of the football," Bitonio said, "and I think the way we won in the past is our defense was fresh. The games that they played great, they played 50 or 60 snaps, not the 70 or 80 snaps a game. And so if we can control the ball and handle those things, I think it's a big step."
With a less-than-ideal QB situation, it makes perfect sense for Stefanski to go back to his roots. A ground-control offense to buffer a stifling defense is the best formula for the 2025 Browns to get back on track.
