Rookie RB Richardson hitting his stride

Associated Press

BEREA

As Trent Richardson dodged, darted and destroyed everything in his path on the way to the end zone last week in Cincinnati, Browns wide receiver Greg Little thought some of the Bengals looked scared.

“They don’t want to tackle him,” Little said.

Richardson made a simple play sensational.

Taking a short pass from quarterback Brandon Weeden, Richardson sidestepped one defender, powered through another and made a few others look silly while scoring an unforgettable, did-he-really-just-do-that 23-yard TD. In a matter of seconds, the rookie running back turned his second NFL game into a coming-out party.

It looked easy, too easy. College easy.

“When a guy’s got it, he’s got it,” Browns defensive end Frostee Rucker said. “That guy’s got it.”

Richardson, who looked slow and hesitant in Cleveland’s season opener against Philadelphia, finished with 109 rushing yards on 19 carries last week. He added four catches for 36 yards while providing a glimpse into a future that seems limitless.

Richardson also looked fully recovered from surgery on his left knee that sidelined him for the entire preseason and may have contributed to him gaining just 39 yards on 19 carries against the Eagles, who may encounter a very different player the next time they face the Browns (0-2).

Richardson felt like a different man in Week 2.

“Coming into the game the first Sunday, I’d never been hit before,” he said. “It was a reaction of me being extra cautious about my knee and stuff. The second week I was more confident. I was just ready to go.”

Once he got rolling, the Bengals had a hard time stopping him. Richardson scored his first career TD on a 32-yard run in the first half, cutting right and patiently picking up several good blocks before outracing a bunch of Bengals and vaulting across the goal line with an unplanned flip.

By the second half, the Bengals were wearing down. Richardson was getting stronger.

“You could just see how he progressed through the game,” Little said. “He runs harder as the game goes on and everybody could see it. We were talking about it on the sideline, ‘Keep running, bro. They don’t want to tackle you.”’

And as the Browns are learning, Richardson doesn’t want to come out of the game.

At various points during each of the first two games, Cleveland’s coaches, concerned they might be working him too hard, have asked Richardson if he wants to take a break. Whenever he’s approached, Richardson said he gives the same quick response.

“I’m good,” he said.

Do they ever question you?

“No, they just let it go,” Richardson said with a smile. “They never question me at all.”

Browns coach Pat Shurmur joked that he won’t bring up the idea of a substitute with Richardson during this week’s game against Buffalo (1-1) — or ever again.

“I can see right away that I’m just going to quit asking him,” Shurmur said.