Brandon Weeden has the unenviable task of facing the Philadelphia Eagles again in two short weeks. The Cleveland Browns quarterback struggled with rookie mistakes during Friday night's 27-10 preseason loss, and part of the problem was a running game that stalled out of the gate.
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Rookie running back Trent Richardson remains out of commission, but there's "a pretty good chance" he'll be on the field when the Eagles return to Cleveland for the regular-season opener Sept. 9, Browns general manager Tom Heckert said during Friday's game broadcast.
Heckert's timetable falls in line with what we've heard for weeks.
Richardson underwent a knee scope earlier this month and hasn't practiced since.
The Browns will need to ease Richardson into action, meaning a heavy dose of Montario Hardesty might be on tap for much of September. Hardesty has fumbled twice in the past two games. He isn't the type of runner who builds rhythm or improves with a larger workload.
The Eagles ignored the Browns' running game en route to the preseason victory Friday. Scared of nothing in that backfield, Philly zoned in on Weeden, who hasn't shown an ability to escape pressure or work his way out of a collapsing pocket.
The Browns need Richardson -- or someone -- to appear in that backfield if they are to bloom into anything other than a minor disaster.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
