'Big dancing bears': Browns run game pulling its weight behind Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller

BEREA – Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett paid tribute to his offensive line when he wore an Homage NFL Jam T-shirt bearing the faces of Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller to his most recent postgame press conference.

Considering how the running game is humming with the two Pro Bowl guards pulling, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt understood why.

“It’s pretty to watch,” Van Pelt said Thursday. “Those guys are athletic. For big dancing bears, they can get on the edge or they can push you off the ball. It’s fun to watch.”

The Browns (2-1) boast the league’s top-ranked rushing attack going into Sunday’s game at Atlanta against the Falcons (1-2). Through three weeks, the Browns stand first in rushing yards (572), runs of 20-plus yards (6) and rushing first downs (33).

Three-time Pro Bowler Nick Chubb has posted a league-high 341 yards (113.7 average per game, 5.5 per carry) and 2017 rushing champion Kareem Hunt has contributed 151 yards (50.3, 26^th, 4.2 per carry).

In a passing league, the Browns are averaging more yards on the ground (190.7) than through the air (188.0), but such a throwback offense doesn’t bother Van Pelt.

“Each game will tell you what that ratio will be,” Van Pelt said. “Obviously, we love our run game, and that is where our starting point is with the wide zone. We have said that Day One since we [came] in here. It is not a bad thing, I don’t think, as long as the game dictates that.”

One reason for the success of Chubb and Hunt is the pulling prowess of Bitonio, 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, and Teller, 6-4 and 315.

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“Joel’s been incredible. I trust when he’s in front of me pulling, I know he’s going to make the right decision, I’m going to make my cut off whatever he decides to happen,” Chubb said Wednesday.

“Him and Wyatt pulling are both doing a great job. A lot of different looks, they’re not sure what the D is going to give them. To make that right decision in a split second is really impressive.”

Bitonio said sometimes making that decision is easy.

“There’s one guy that’s meeting me in the hole and you’ve got to hit him,” Bitonio said Thursday. “Other times there’s like two guys over there and it’s like, ‘Alright, Nick’s going to have to beat one of these guys.’ You kind of lock onto the first guy that shows up and trust Nick to make the play.

“He does a great job, though, he makes us look great. If we have like a so-so block, he can make things look a lot better.”

Bitonio said experience is key. Bitonio and Chubb are in their fifth year together, Teller and Chubb in their fourth. In that span, Chubb has finished second in the league in rushing in 2021 and 2019.

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“If you get the repetitions in practice, you work it,” Bitonio said. “We’re going on a few years now together, so you get the feel of how he’s going to run and who he wants to run off of.”

The arrival of coach Kevin Stefanski in 2020 also spelled more pulling responsibilities for the guards.

“It’s definitely gone way up,” Bitonio said. “We have a lot of pulls – left, right, inside, outside, a lot of different ways. But I always love it because I think it puts us at an advantage scheme-wise because a lot of times you’re pulling for a linebacker or a corner or somebody of that nature.”

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Bitonio said he gets in better shape as the season goes on to handle all the pulling.

“Last year there were a couple games where I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve pulled like 10 times in this drive,’” Bitonio said. “That Carolina game, it was hot there, it was humid, you’re a little gassed playing 80 plays that first game. Once you get into the season you get in a little bit better shape.

“But there’s a few times where it’s like, ‘Alright, I’ve pulled like four times on this, we’ve got a screen coming up … catch your breath before you get going.’”

Browns center Ethan Pocic agreed that what Bitonio and Teller are doing pulling for Chubb and Hunt is a thing of beauty.

“They’re so good. They make it look easier than what it is,” Pocic said Thursday.

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Brissett explained Wednesday why he chose the Bitonio and Teller tee after the Browns’ 29-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sept. 22 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

“I should get royalties on that shirt, by the way,” Brissett said. “You just get around these guys so much that they become a part of who you are, the relationship grows. It was a cool shirt. I saw Joe Thomas wear it, and I was like, ‘Oh, I want one of those shirts.’

“I thought it was a good time to wear it. I had it in my bag for the longest [time] so I was like, ‘I might as well wear it now.’”

Bitonio called that “a cool gesture,” and didn’t rule out bribing Brissett to wear it again.

“I’m not really sure how that royalty works on that. We'll see about that,” Bitonio said.

It’s also possible a Chubb and Hunt T-shirt could wind up in Brissett’s rotation.

“I don’t know. I saw something at a store, but I didn’t want to spend any money at the time,” Brissett said, laughing. “Next time.”

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller part of Browns run game success