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How Dylan Sampson used time off to figure out Browns' run game issues
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- How Dylan Sampson used time off to figure out Browns' run game issues
BEREA ― Dylan Sampson had five weeks to sit around and watch.
The Browns running back went on injured reserve Sept. 13 , two days after suffering a knee injury in the first quarter of the season opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars . It took him more than five weeks, right up until Oct. 24, to finally be able activated from the list and return to game action .
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Sampson, though, wasn't just sitting around. The second-year pro managed to find a way to be productive in that time.
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"Yeah. I think just with anything in life, you got to find the benefits of it," Sampson said after his first game back, a 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 25. "So I actually, for a lot of the games, had to be in the box upstairs, but I was able to see everything and all the coaching points. Kind of just see the way of thinking of the coordinator and our head coach. So it was so much that I learned in those couple weeks that I could just provide when I get back."
Sampson had his first offensive opportunities of the season against the Titans. He ran the ball six times for 45 yards, while adding three catches for 32 yards.
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That just happened to coincide with the Browns' best rushing performance of the season. Sampson and Quinshon Judkins combined to help them rush for 183 yards on 29 carries, an average of 6.3 yards.
That was nearly double what the Browns had been averaging per game on the ground going into the game. Cleveland was averaging 94.5 rushing yards through the first six games.
"I think just having the same mentality," Judkins said after his 93-yard, two-touchdown performance against Tennessee. "Really going out there and just harping what coach said, just taking what they give us, you know what I'm saying? Just going out there, same rules, same execution, just playing each play."
Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson (22) is tackled by Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker (37) on Oct. 25, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.
That's what Sampson couldn't do while he was sidelined with the knee injury. What he could do, however, was stay involved in the rest of the preparations, specifically the meetings and film review.
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That was the insider information Sampson brought with him to the press box while he watched his teammates from afar. That was like a cheat code for him as he assessed what was happening on the field.
"Being up in the box is kind of like I'm a fan, but I'm a fan who knows the game plan," Sampson said Oct. 28. "So I have a bird's eye view of seeing everything that's going down, defensive structures, plays that we're running. And if you allow yourself to, there's so much to learn just within those game in and games out and coming back and watching the film over, even though I'm not playing. So things I could take and incorporate into me basically just starting the season midway."
Sampson's return comes at just the right time for the Browns. They've won five of six since that opener, grabbing a share of first place in the AFC North with a 5-2 record.
Cleveland will try to take sole possession of the division at nearly the midpoint of the season when it travels to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 1. The Steelers are also 5-2, but technically trail the Browns because of a Week 4 loss in Cleveland.
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To continue to stay on top of the division, the Browns are going to have to continue to improve the running game. That means they're going to have to continue to fix what had been troubling it before, which is what Sampson got a bird's eye view of from the press box.
"I don't want to speak too much on that, but I just think it's just the flow of an NFL season," Sampson said of the struggles. "We got a whole new group of guys, fresh new O-line, two rookies on it, just all learning how to play in units and learn how to play together. And you don't want to peak early. You want to have guys that will continue fighting and straining.
"But I think the main thing is just all getting on the same page, the same accord and just blending it all together, which I believe that's happening."
Sampson is like a few other members of the Browns offense in that he really is multifaceted in his skill set. The running the ball portion of it was just part of the skillset that drew the Browns to draft him after he was SEC Offensive Player of the Year at the University of Tennessee in 2024.
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The pass-catching ability makes Sampson almost an inverse threat to what wide receiver KC Concepcion can be in the run game. That versatility is a major weapon within an offensive scheme that's attempted to showcase more than just the basics from their players.
Thus, Concepcion had three runs for 23 yards against the Titans. Meanwhile, it's what led Sampson to three catches for 32 yards in the same game.
"Explosive players that you can utilize in space," Browns coach Todd Monken said. "And Dylan was even just a shell of himself, you know, the first game back. I expect him to be even a better version of himself this week and next week as he gets back from being off for the better part of six weeks, five weeks.
"And KC, not only is he quick, he's powerful, he's tough, and thinks 'score' every time he touches the ball. So, finding ways to get him the ball is obviously critical to our offense. It showed the other day."
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: How Dylan Sampson used time off to figure out Browns' run game issues
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