3 Cleveland Browns players who will be key in Week 14

1. Sheldon Richardson

With Myles Garrett suspended until Roger Goodell decides he’s not mad anymore, the Browns defensive line is down one of their biggest stars. On top of that, fellow edge rusher Olivier Vernon has been struggling to stay on the field in recent weeks.

Due to their shortage of players, Sheldon Richardson has been leaned on heavily. So far, he’s been up to the task. Against Miami, he had five tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. He added another five tackles against Pittsburgh.

During those games, he proved his versatility as he was lining up at defensive end often — and was very effective in that role. This shouldn’t be a surprise because he was often used on the edge during his days with the New York Jets.

This weekend they will surely ask Richardson to continue to move around the line as they’re trying to put together a patchwork defensive line.

While the Bengals offense hasn’t been very explosive, they do have weapons that can hurt you in Andy Dalton and running back Joe Mixon. Richardson will be asked to put pressure on the veteran quarterback while also being ready to stuff Mixon when he gets the ball.

He’s capable of making the plays the team needs and they’re paying him like a star. It’s time to show he can put it all together for a third week in a row.