D'Onta Foreman has breakout potential for the Cleveland Browns Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants.
The Cleveland Browns offense lost its identity during Week 2 of the 2023 NFL Season when Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury. While Jerome Ford has done an admirable job filling in, it has always seemed like he was incapable of bringing even a sliver of the physicality that Browns fans grew accustomed to.
During the offseason, fans and analysts alike speculated about the timeline for Chubb's return to the Browns backfield, and after being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list at the start of the season, the speculation only grew deeper.
With his timeline uncertain, and the most obvious replacement being Ford, analysts quickly deemed Ford as a breakout player for 2024. He was the most obvious choice given his experience in head coach Kevin Stefanski's system, and nearly a full year of starting experience under his belt. After a couple of weeks, it seems clear they might need to lean on D'Onta Foreman more than Ford.
As a prospect in 2017, Foreman was identified as having elite athleticism for his size. A large weakness for him when he entered the NFL, was that he used finesse too often compared to power. Considered a weakness mostly due to his size, power, and ability to run through the defensive line, but needed to be more aggressive between the tackles.
One of his better characteristics, at the time, was that he rarely got caught for a loss, excellent north-south runner, and could easily hurdle defenders in the open field. Since being drafted, Foreman has bounced around the league having had stints with the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and now with the Browns throughout eight seasons.
Production, skill, and ability have never been issues for Foreman; the early years of his career were plagued with injuries. After injuries derailed his opportunities with the Texans and Colts, Foreman wouldn't get another chance to serve as a premium back until the 2022 season with the Panthers.
In Week 7, Carolina traded Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers, making Foreman the ipso facto lead back. After taking the reigns he rushed for over 100 yards in three of four games, and Carolina's offense heavily relied on him.
In 2023, as a member of the Bears, injuries to their RB room pushed Foreman into the starting position, and all he did was shred the Las Vegas Raiders defense en route to being named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. The Browns signed Foreman over the offseason as what seemed to be a running back room by committee, with both Ford and Foreman sharing the ball primarily.
All this is important because every time Foreman is allowed the opportunity, however temporary it may be, he tends to make the best of it and everyone involved benefits. He's not Chubb, nor will he ever be, but the combination of Foreman as the lead back and Ford as the change of pace gives the Browns both power and speed, something they have been lacking since 2023.
After Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, it was apparent that the Browns offense lacked any production, and had no obvious identity. During that game, Foreman was on the field for only one play. During Week 2, he led the Browns offense in carries, and the offense was significantly improved.
If you watched the game, Ford and Foreman were getting hammered behind the line of scrimmage, and yet the stats don't justify the production I witnessed from Foreman against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. If the Browns offensive line can get their act together, and figure out how to block, Foreman has the capacity to have a huge game against the Giants this Sunday.
