Following Week 4’s blowout loss to the previously winless Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell stormed out of the locker room before the normal media availability time. On Thursday, he explained why.
Not only did the Browns lose, but Crowell was used only sparingly. He ran the ball seven times for 20 yards and caught one pass for seven.
“I don’t like losing. I’ve always been a sore loser,” Crowell said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We lost and I didn’t really get a chance to contribute at all, so that’s what I was really mad about. … I feel like I can contribute to the game to help my team win, so that’s what I was upset about.”
Crowell added that he “didn’t even take a shower” because “he didn’t play that much”
Per Cabot, coach Hue Jackson took the blame for not getting Crowell more involved. Crowell had his fewest carries of the season during Sunday’s loss, by far. He’s also never topped 44 yards rushing in a game this season. So, getting him the ball with a chance to succeed should really be the focus of the Cleveland offense.
As far as his actions go, storming out early is never good. Crowell may be a sore loser, but at the risk of sounding snarky, he has to be used to it at this point. Sunday’s loss was no worse than most of the other games that the Browns have dropped over the last two years.
Even if everyone understands why he did it, walking out creates a perception that the locker room might be divided. The last thing an 0-4 team that is trying to establish a winning culture needs is outside noise around potential drama.