CLEVELAND -- Carlos Hyde had just one carry in the Cleveland Browns’ preseason opener at the New York Giants last Thursday, but the coaching staff made a concerted effort to develop the run early in their Week 2 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, and the veteran rusher rewarded them with productivity.
On just nine carries, Hyde rushed for a game-high 64 yards and one touchdown in a 19-17 loss to the Bills in the 2018 home preseason opener at FirstEnergy Stadium Friday night.
“This week, we just put more emphasis on it,” Hyde said. “That was our mindset going into this game, to get the run game going. The offensive line did a great job creating some lanes for me to run through, and I was able to make plays.
PHOTOS: Cleveland Browns RB Carlos Hyde shows off physical running style against Buffalo Bills
“With the preseason and training camp, it’s getting you ready for the regular season. With the games, it’s just another opportunity to get better. That’s the mindset going into these games: take a step forward. Every day, you want to get better. Even on your off days, you want to do something to help you get better. You want to always feel like you’re progressing and getting better, so that’s the mindset I have.”
Hyde rushed for 41 yards on five carries on the opening drive and gave the Browns a 7-0 lead over the Bills with a four-yard scoring run at the 9:10 mark of the first quarter.
In addition to the touchdown, Hyde rushed four other times and gained 37 yards, including a 26-yard scamper down the right sideline that took the ball from Cleveland’s 42-yard line out to Buffalo’s 32 just three plays into the drive.
Hyde took the handoff from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and initially, ran up the middle. However, Hyde bounced the play out to the outside of the formation around right tackle and hustled down the field. Before securing the first down and more, Hyde delivered a stiff-arm to former Browns safety Jordan Poyer and broke free for the big gain before being ushered out of bounds well down the field.
“It is always good to see him go out there and make plays,” Taylor said. “He got in the end zone, which was awesome. We do not have as many live periods, so some of the stuff that the defensive guys see are tackles, you actually got to see him break through some tackles. He has done a great job. All of the backs have done a great job. It was good to see him get rolling early.”
Hyde signed as a free agent with the Browns in the offseason after spending the first four years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers.
Over his 50 games in those four seasons with the 49ers, Hyde turned 655 carries into 2,729 yards and 21 touchdowns with 133 first downs, 15 20-yard rushes and three 40-yard bursts. Additionally, the 6-foot, 235-pound Hyde, a native of Cincinnati, caught 109 passes out of the backfield for 634 yards and three touchdowns.
And Browns coach Hue Jackson is looking forward to seeing Hyde’s physical running style moving the ball down the field during the regular season.
“He is a big guy who has some wiggle, more wiggle than people think,” Jackson said. “He can run down between the tackles extremely well. He did a great job seeing things and put himself in position to make some big runs.
“He is a physical man. He is a big guy. He has to always fall forward with the ball. That is what we need. We need a guy who is going to be heading north and south and not going east and west.”
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