Three Cleveland Browns that will be keys to victory over the Steelers

Running Back Carlos Hyde

Carlos Hyde solidified himself as the starting running back with strong performances during the preseason. Cleveland will need him to carry that momentum over to Sunday in order to get a victory.

Despite the amount of weapons the Browns have at receiver, they are going to need to establish a strong running game. It’s expected that the Browns want to feature a lot of play-action, including a lot of bootleg rollouts for Tyrod Taylor.

If the run game struggles Sunday, the Steelers are not going to bite on the play-action that often. Hyde could prove to be a valuable key to this offense on Sunday.

Hyde showed an ability to make guys miss at the line of scrimmage during the preseason, allowing him to break some big runs. The Steelers have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, so Hyde is going to need to make some plays at the line of scrimmage to get around that interior push.

The Steelers will also be without the heart of their defense in Ryan Shazier. Without Shazier’s presence at the second-level, Hyde may find some wiggle room at that level to break off a big run.

But not only does Hyde need to play well to create opportunities for the passing game, the forecast for Sunday is for rain. If the rain is significant, the Browns may not look to throw the ball that often, riding the running game for most of the game.

All-in-all, Hyde will be vital to the Browns offense on Sunday. Although he will split carries with Duke Johnson and Nick Chubb, he will be the running back the Browns will rely on to make plays late in the game.