3 Keys to a Cleveland Browns win vs. Indianapolis Colts
By Clay Goodwin
1.Run the football without Nick Chubb
Can the Browns continue to pound the rock without their star Nick Chubb? If that answer is yes, they will have a great chance to win this game Sunday. Through the first quarter of the season, the Browns lead the league in rushing with 204.5 yards a game. That is about 25 yards more a game than the second-ranked rushing offense.
Chubb is third in the league in rushing yards while Kareem Hunt is 10th. Hunt is also a star back in this league who has all of the necessary skills to again lead the league in rushing like he did back in 2017 with the Chiefs. He will need to be great for the next several weeks while Chubb recovers from his injury.
Backups D’Ernest Johnson and Dontrell Hilliard will also have to play big roles in Chubb’s absence. Johnson, in fact, had his career-high yards in a game Sunday with 95 on only 13 carries. He will need to be productive when Hunt is off the field.
Not only are the backs extremely talented for Cleveland, but their offensive line has been elite this season. According to ESPN Next Gen Stats, the Browns offensive line is second in the league in run blocking win rate. They have been dominant up front for the Cleveland backfield.
This will be a tough task going against the stingiest run defense in the league through four games, but look for Kevin Stefanski to stick to his game plan and for the line to continue to impress.