With veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson in concussion protocol for the Cleveland Browns, Shedeur Sanders has been named the team's starter for Week 9.
With Sanders being the polarizing star that he is, all eyes will surely be on him as Cleveland takes on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
However, the game may end up being less about what Sanders does and more about what both teams do on the ground.
Entering Sunday’s game, both the Browns and the Saints are struggling to run the ball, and they are also both struggling to stop the run. Whichever team can improve those weaknesses the most on Sunday will likely be the team that wins the game.
Browns must win the run battle to defeat the Saints in Week 9
On the year, Cleveland is averaging just 97.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks 24th in the NFL. The Saints come in four spots lower at 28th in the league, with their 86.0 rushing yards per game. Both units are likely thinking that this is the week to get the run game rolling, because the defenses that they are up against are not good against the run.
The Browns defense is giving up 126.9 rushing yards a game, ranking them 24th in the league in that department as well. New Orleans is once again a handful of spots below Cleveland, ranking 29th, with 139.4 rushing yards allowed per game.
With both defenses being vulnerable on the ground, it’d be smart for the offenses to try and get their ground games established early. The team that can run the ball the best and stop the other team from running will have the advantage in this matchup.
That's where the passing game will come into play. The team that is doing a good job running the ball will probably be able to add in a good passing attack off the established run game. The run production will slow down the opposing pass rush, and it will also put the defense in conflict as it decides whether to defend the run or the pass.
On the other hand, the team that struggles to run the ball will become one-dimensional, which makes protecting the quarterback and passing the ball much harder.
It’s also possible that both teams could find their run games on Sunday, with both defenses continuing to struggle. That would make for a surprising kind of game that no one is expecting.
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