The Cleveland Browns play the Dolphins in a Week 10 matchup and if these three players can step and play well then, the team will have a shot at the victory
There will be plenty of things to watch for on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins do battle down in sunny Florida including several Browns that will play a big part in the game plan.
Cleveland had their bye week and is rested and ready to get back into playoff contention. The Dolphins are riding a three-game win streak so it will be a difficult task for Cleveland to get the win but if these three players show up and play well then, they could get the W.
3 Cleveland Browns players to watch in Week 10 against Miami Dolphins
No. 3: Kareem Hunt, RB
Kareem Hunt has been the topic of several discussions involving trades up until the deadline. Prior to the season, Hunt made a request to sign an extension with the Browns.
However, Cleveland didn’t feel the urge to sign him and has rather chosen to let him play out his contract this season — and that was when he requested to be traded. But the team continued to ignore the request. So, this entire season there has been speculation on if Hunt would be moved by the time the NFL trade deadline hit on November 1st.
Last week, we had that trade deadline come and go and while the Browns took some phone calls with interest for Hunt, they decided to keep the back. So, Hunt is still on the roster and that’s welcome news to several of his teammates, including his counterpart and running mate Nick Chubb. He shared his happiness with the Browns keeping Hunt in the mix the rest of the year as he described him as his best friend.
#Browns Nick Chubb on Kareem Hunt not being traded: "Of course I was very happy. Kareem's one of my best friends, a great teammate here and a great player for this team. Having him back means everything to me and everything to everyone here."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 9, 2022
The Browns have one of the better running back duos in the league right now and that can continue now that Hunt hasn’t been traded. Now the former rushing leader in the 2017 NFL season can now concentrate on doing all he can to help his Cleveland team win games.
He’s had a decent season to this point and in this next match-up with the Dolphins they will certainly be concentrating on stopping the Browns’ run game. Despite that and hopefully, with a renewed spirit, Hunt can play some of his best football.
No. 2: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR
Almost quietly, Donovan Peoples-Jones has put together a very decent first half of the year. He’s now in the midst of his third season and he has turned out to be a reliable second option, behind the veteran Amari Cooper.
DPJ has had opportunities over the last three seasons but has fallen short. This season, however, he’s made the most of those chances and seems more reliable. He’s had the knack of making some great grabs over the years. The game-winning catch in the closing moments of the Cincinnati Bengals’ victory back in 2020 will always be a fan favorite. When he’s been targeted and the football is within catchable range, he usually can pull it in.
In this contest against Miami, DPJ will get his opportunity because they will try to take away Amari Cooper. This isn’t unfamiliar territory for the young wide receiver drafted from the University of Michigan.
One can see that he’s gaining confidence and as that continues to grow, then the Browns will be in better shape moving forward. Look for the young receiver to have a good game down in Miami. Cleveland will have had a week’s rest on their bye and they will be ready to compete and get back in playoff contention.
DPJ can be a big part of that shift in the second half of the season. He’s already put together numbers that are equivalent to what he’s done in previous seasons so look for that trend to continue.
No. 1: Sione Takitaki, LB
We’ll begin with the obvious: Sione Takitaki’s name is one of the cooler names in the NFL. That should be worth the watch on Sunday just to hear his name called out.
The linebacker is now in his fourth season with Cleveland and his production continues to grow every year. In the last game before the bye against the Cincinnati Bengals, Takitaki had an impressive 13 tackles that included a strip-sack of Joe Burrow.
There have been injuries to linebackers Jeremiah Owusu- Koramoah and Anthony Walker this season and that’s thrust Takitaki into the middle of the linebacking crew. He has had some nice moments over the previous three seasons. Back in 2020, he had a memorable pick-six against the Indianapolis Colts that helped the Browns win an important game on their way to the playoffs.
He always works hard and puts forth a lot of effort when you watch him play. His tackling and skill set continues to be impressive. As the Browns have gotten better on defense this season, part of that improvement has to do with Takitaki coming in and helping clog up the middle of the defense. He’s helping to create problems for the opponent, and he’s been able to get it in the backfield a few more times of late like he did when he had that strip sack on the quarterback
The Browns will likely put pressure on Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa Sunday and more than likely we’ll hear Takitaki’s name called a time or two in his attempt to get an important tackle or even another sack.
3 big storylines to watch when the Browns play the Dolphins
The Cleveland Browns are not out of the playoff running just yet and in Week 10 they face a tough Miami Dolphins team. Here are the three big storylines.