4 biggest causes of concern Steelers vs. Browns in Week 17
By Andrew Falce
The Browns RBs
One of the Steelers’ strongest units on their defense has been their run defense, as the front seven has been one of the best units in that regard. With the play of their starters likely to be limited though, their defense as a whole will likely take a step back. Considering the Browns use both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in their backfield, they may have an easy path to victory against this defense.
Now, some of the starters will record snaps and the depth along the line is deep, but that doesn’t mean they are ready to stop these two-headed attacks at running back. In their earlier matchup, the Steelers limited Hunt to 57 total yards, but the defense will be tasked with stopping both him and Chubb this week. That is a tall task for a starting defense, and it will be even more of an issue considering the number of starters that should be resting.
With both of the Browns runners playing healthy this week, they figure to play heavily into the offensive attack. While the team can sell out to stop the run, recent weeks have shown that the Browns can still pass against you. Luckily this game doesn’t matter, and better yet, they can take notes on this offense. If these two teams have to meet again in the playoffs, the Steelers will know how the Browns like to line up their runners. That may be an extra advantage in what could be a loss this week.