Hue Jackson had a discussion with running back Isaiah Crowell about Crowell's publicly stated desire to carry the ball more, Jackson said Friday.

"Guys get frustrated when they want the ball; I get it," Jackson said. "He feels like he can help do more and help the team. I totally understand. Just how we handle those things is important, just as important to me as anything, and he understands.

"We will go from there."

Crowell had said he felt he could help the team with more carries. He is one of three NFL backs to average 4.4 or more yards per carry in each of the past two seasons, but had just five carries in the loss to Baltimore on Sunday and doesn't have 20 carries in a game this season.

Part of the reason is that Duke Johnson is running the ball well, and quarterback DeShone Kizer gets some runs off the read-option.

Crowell said he was disappointed that after a 59-yard run against the Ravens he got just one more carry the rest of the game. He has run for 501 yards the past seven games, 5.7 per carry.

"Me and you, all five of us could have run through that hole." Hue Jackson, on Isaiah Crowell's 59-yard run against the Ravens

Jackson offered some perspective on the long run when he said big gains like that do not necessarily inspire playcallers to use the back more.

"No, me and you, all five of us could have run through that hole," Jackson said. "Go back and look at the play so I'm not saying that. Inspiring runs, just so we are all on the same page, are when you break tackles. It is the tough runs. It is when everybody is knocking the crap out of you and you find a way to still make 4 or 5 yards. That is running in the National Football League.

"When everything is blocked pretty and you can just run down up through there, that doesn't happen but once or twice in a game. Not saying that Crow doesn't do that. He does it well for us, but I'm just saying you guys are talking about a run that -- I'm being very honest -- we all could have run through.

"What I'm looking for is more of the grunt, tough-type of runs that I know that you have to have in the National Football League from our runners, period. I think they gave us some. We have to continue to do more, and that is where we are."

Crowell has had a couple of noteworthy runs not work out. On fourth-and-1 against Cincinnati, he was stopped for a loss. On a key third down against Green Bay, he tripped going into a hole and could not convert.

Jackson said when the Browns ran the same play that produced the 59-yarder later in the game, they lost 2 yards.

Browns running back Isaiah Crowell broke a 59-yard run against the Ravens but got just one carry after that. AP Photo/David Richard

"Every hole is not going to be a 59-yard run," Jackson said. "Sometimes you have to make your holes as a back, and I think the backs understand that."

Following Jackson's comments, Crowell "liked" several tweets by fans, including: "If crowell wasn't feeling disrespected before, he should now."

Jackson did concede that there might have been times this season he got away from the run too quickly. The Browns have thrown the ball 62.05 percent of the time, eighth highest in the league.

"We get behind, and I hate to say it -- I'm just being very honest -- I think sometimes I have gotten away from it a little too quickly," Jackson said. "But there are times where in order to score points, the fastest way to get there is throwing the football.

"There are not many 59-yard, 75-yard, 85-yard runs in the National Football League. That doesn't happen. It is more pass plays that give you more chunk yardage then there are runs.

"I get it. I understand the criticism. We have run the ball better over the last five or six weeks. We will continue to do so. Hopefully we will finish the year running the ball better.

"I think we started way low in the National Football League running. I think we are making a jump. Now, we just have to keep going."