The Browns' headache at running back isn't going away, not even with Ben Tate out of the picture. One week after Isaiah Crowell outperformed Terrance West on fewer carries, their roles were reversed Week 13 at Buffalo. But while both generally performed well in Week 12, neither did the Browns proud in this one.
Crowell gained 29 yards on his 17 carries. West at least had a respectable yard-per-carry average, but he still had just 32 on seven. He also lost a crucial fumble for the Browns midway through the third quarter.
What makes it especially frustrating is that Crowell and West have both shown flashes of greatness this year. Crowell looked like he might be on the verge of must-start status in Week 12, rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Now, with the bye weeks over, you have to wonder if you'll ever be able to trust either enough to start him. Chances are one will be startable more weeks than not, but which one? It's just a guessing game at this point. You wouldn't want to let either fall into someone else's hands -- their potential is too great for that -- so you might just have to plant them on your bench for now.