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Browns running back more than happy to get most of practice work
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 10:48 p.m. EST, Nov 19, 2008
BEREA: Browns coach Romeo Crennel found himself today with only one healthy running back for practice.
Fortunately it was his workhorse, Jamal Lewis, and Lewis was champing at the bit.
''I want every rep. I want every rep. I want it. I want it,'' Lewis said. ''Hey, that's how it is. Things happen. I've got to be there to answer the bell, and I'll be there.
''They don't load up the box in practice, thank God.''
Backup Jerome Harrison was sidelined with a hamstring injury that might force him to miss the home game Sunday against the Houston Texans. Third-down man Jason Wright sat out the practice with a stinger. That prompted Crennel to use two defensive backs as scout-team running backs. As for the other side of the ball, Crennel said, ''Jamal will have to take the reps.''
Lewis is eager to work because despite rushing for 658-yards in 10 games he feels underutilized in what he calls the Browns' ''pass-approach kind of offense.'' He also knows it's his time to break out.
Last season, he gained 697 of his 1,304 yards in the final six games. The Texans helped launch Lewis on that surge in Game 11, when he picked up 134 yards on 29 carries and scored a touchdown. It was only his second performance with more than 100 yards, but he finished with four in that closing span. He's still looking to hit 100 this season.
''Opportunities have to present themselves in order to get there,'' he said. ''I was always taught if you get 25 carries a game at four yards a carry, you get there. I'm not complaining about it. I'm not looking for it. If it comes, it comes.''
When Lewis talks about opportunities, he doesn't mean rushing attempts. He means plays when everything works perfectly, like Monday night against the Buffalo Bills when Harrison took a toss sweep 72 yards for a touchdown. It was the eighth-longest rush in Browns history and the longest since Reuben Droughns went 75 yards against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 20, 2005.
''Opportunity is just like that one, it was blocked up perfectly,'' Lewis said, pointing out that receiver Joshua Cribbs took out two defenders to spring Harrison. ''The alley was there.''
This year, Lewis' longest run was 27 yards against the Denver Broncos, and his longest touchdown was four yards against the New York Giants. Last season, he scored on runs of 66 yards (against the Cincinnati Bengals) and 31 yards (against the New York Jets).
''We haven't blocked as efficiently as we need to to help him,'' Crennel said. ''He hasn't had any breakout runs like he had last year to get him over that century mark.''
Even if those opportunities don't present themselves, Lewis likely will reach a milestone soon. He needs 237 rushing yards to become the 24th running back in league history to reach 10,000 in his career.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there have been more than 25,000 running backs who carried the ball at least once in the NFL since 1930. With those odds, reaching 10,000 will put Lewis in elite company, whether he cares about it or not.
''It just means it's a lot of numbers already under my belt. That's it,'' Lewis said. ''Are they going to give me something after I get there? If they are . . . let me know. Hopefully we can grind out about 2,000 more.''
This week, Lewis ranks second in the AFC in rushing attempts with 185, trailing only Thomas Jones of the New York Jets (190). But at age 29, Lewis doesn't feel the pounding.
''Naw. It doesn't feel that way at all,'' Lewis said. ''I think it's due to the way things are spread out. It's not like I'm getting a carry, a pass, a carry. It's not consistent.''
Lewis will turn 30 on Aug. 26, an age that some consider the end of the line for an NFL running back. He has answered questions about what he has got left since the Baltimore Ravens released him after the 2006 season. So naturally, he took offense to the suggestion that he'll be finished on his next birthday.
''I thought it was 29. Now it's 30? Next year it will be 31,'' he said, laughing. ''I've played nine seasons. I missed one with an injury, so that's eight seasons. I went I don't know how many seasons getting 15 carries a game, do you count that, too? I'm fresh. I work out hard in the offseason to stay fit and ready for a 16- to 20-week season.''
Sounding like he still enjoys being a ''gym junkie'' with a simple goal of getting four yards per carry, Lewis hasn't considered how much longer he wants to play.
''As long as I can get up in the morning and say I love doing this job,'' he said. ''When I get up and say I don't feel like doing it, that's when it's time to move on.''
BEREA: Browns coach Romeo Crennel found himself today with only one healthy running back for practice.
Fortunately it was his workhorse, Jamal Lewis, and Lewis was champing at the bit.
''I want every rep. I want every rep. I want it. I want it,'' Lewis said. ''Hey, that's how it is. Things happen. I've got to be there to answer the bell, and I'll be there.
''They don't load up the box in practice, thank God.''
Backup Jerome Harrison was sidelined with a hamstring injury that might force him to miss the home game Sunday against the Houston Texans. Third-down man Jason Wright sat out the practice with a stinger. That prompted Crennel to use two defensive backs as scout-team running backs. As for the other side of the ball, Crennel said, ''Jamal will have to take the reps.''
Lewis is eager to work because despite rushing for 658-yards in 10 games he feels underutilized in what he calls the Browns' ''pass-approach kind of offense.'' He also knows it's his time to break out.
Last season, he gained 697 of his 1,304 yards in the final six games. The Texans helped launch Lewis on that surge in Game 11, when he picked up 134 yards on 29 carries and scored a touchdown. It was only his second performance with more than 100 yards, but he finished with four in that closing span. He's still looking to hit 100 this season.
''Opportunities have to present themselves in order to get there,'' he said. ''I was always taught if you get 25 carries a game at four yards a carry, you get there. I'm not complaining about it. I'm not looking for it. If it comes, it comes.''
When Lewis talks about opportunities, he doesn't mean rushing attempts. He means plays when everything works perfectly, like Monday night against the Buffalo Bills when Harrison took a toss sweep 72 yards for a touchdown. It was the eighth-longest rush in Browns history and the longest since Reuben Droughns went 75 yards against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 20, 2005.
''Opportunity is just like that one, it was blocked up perfectly,'' Lewis said, pointing out that receiver Joshua Cribbs took out two defenders to spring Harrison. ''The alley was there.''
This year, Lewis' longest run was 27 yards against the Denver Broncos, and his longest touchdown was four yards against the New York Giants. Last season, he scored on runs of 66 yards (against the Cincinnati Bengals) and 31 yards (against the New York Jets).
''We haven't blocked as efficiently as we need to to help him,'' Crennel said. ''He hasn't had any breakout runs like he had last year to get him over that century mark.''
Even if those opportunities don't present themselves, Lewis likely will reach a milestone soon. He needs 237 rushing yards to become the 24th running back in league history to reach 10,000 in his career.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there have been more than 25,000 running backs who carried the ball at least once in the NFL since 1930. With those odds, reaching 10,000 will put Lewis in elite company, whether he cares about it or not.
''It just means it's a lot of numbers already under my belt. That's it,'' Lewis said. ''Are they going to give me something after I get there? If they are . . . let me know. Hopefully we can grind out about 2,000 more.''
This week, Lewis ranks second in the AFC in rushing attempts with 185, trailing only Thomas Jones of the New York Jets (190). But at age 29, Lewis doesn't feel the pounding.
''Naw. It doesn't feel that way at all,'' Lewis said. ''I think it's due to the way things are spread out. It's not like I'm getting a carry, a pass, a carry. It's not consistent.''
Lewis will turn 30 on Aug. 26, an age that some consider the end of the line for an NFL running back. He has answered questions about what he has got left since the Baltimore Ravens released him after the 2006 season. So naturally, he took offense to the suggestion that he'll be finished on his next birthday.
''I thought it was 29. Now it's 30? Next year it will be 31,'' he said, laughing. ''I've played nine seasons. I missed one with an injury, so that's eight seasons. I went I don't know how many seasons getting 15 carries a game, do you count that, too? I'm fresh. I work out hard in the offseason to stay fit and ready for a 16- to 20-week season.''
Sounding like he still enjoys being a ''gym junkie'' with a simple goal of getting four yards per carry, Lewis hasn't considered how much longer he wants to play.
''As long as I can get up in the morning and say I love doing this job,'' he said. ''When I get up and say I don't feel like doing it, that's when it's time to move on.''
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