Auburn Must Make Life Easier for Byrum Brown Before Facing Georgia

The Auburn Tigers offense has struggled to find consistency through the first five games of the season, and quarterback Byrum Brown has received plenty of criticism for his decision-making.

And some of that criticism is deserved.

Brown has thrown seven touchdowns and seven interceptions, and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon recently acknowledged that some of those mistakes have been avoidable.

"We got to make better decisions with the football. That's the number one thing that's got to be fixed," Gordon said.

He's right, but I think there's another part of this conversation worth discussing.

How much is Auburn actually doing to make things easier for Brown?

According to Pro Football Focus, Brown has averaged 3.16 seconds to throw this season.

That's a long time to hold onto the football behind an offensive line that has struggled with pass protection.

And I think Gordon needs to find ways to simplify things.

Getting the football out quicker, giving Brown easier reads, and allowing Auburn's playmakers to create yards after the catch would be a good start.

Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton have been two of Auburn's most productive offensive players. Finding ways to get them the football without requiring Brown to sit in the pocket should be a priority.

But I also think Auburn needs to involve its running backs more.

Especially Omar Mabson.

There's been plenty of discussion about giving Mabson and Jeremiah Cobb additional carries, but Auburn's running game needs more than that.

Alex Golesh recently acknowledged that the Tigers need to establish their rushing attack earlier in games.

"I think Omar has continued to earn the right to play," Golesh said. "It's more so getting the run game going in general, especially early in the game."

And that's where the coaching staff needs to get creative.

Auburn hasn't consistently created running lanes between the tackles, so why not find different ways to get Mabson involved?

Screens, quick checkdowns, and designed touches in space could help establish something offensively while taking pressure off Brown. The quickness that Mabson has shown on his carries to get outside the tackles, compared to Cobb, is something that cannot go unnoticed. When one of these running backs starts finding success, it opens up more success for your dual-threat quarterback. 

And that's why Auburn should keep using Brown as a rushing threat as well.

He ran for 107 yards against Tennessee, and forcing defenses to account for his legs could create additional opportunities for the running backs.

None of this excuses Brown's turnovers. He still needs to make better decisions.

But  Auburn can't keep asking its quarterback to overcome the same problems every week.

Gordon has had two weeks to evaluate what isn't working.

Now we'll see whether Auburn makes the adjustments necessary to give Brown and its running backs better opportunities against Georgia.

 If the needed adjustments don't come, especially after multiple weeks of game film and now preparation, maybe a structural change will be needed.