The Pittsburgh Steelers will try to bounce back from an absolutely embarrassing loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. They gave up over 180 yards on the ground, with 152 of them coming from the 49ers featured back, Christian McCaffrey. With Nick Chubb and the Cleveland Browns coming to Pittsburgh for a divisional match up on Monday Night Football in Week 2, the Steelers run defense needs to step up in order for the team to have any chance of taking down their AFC North rival.
Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire/ Getty Images
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb has terrorized the Steelers and the AFC North for years now.
Steelers Must Find A Way To Limit The Browns Rushing Attack
Chubb ran for 106 yards on 22 carries in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals and was a key factor in the Browns winning the game. History shows that when the Steelers are able to limit Chubb, their chances of winning the game grow dramatically.
In an article written by The Athletic's Mike DeFabo, he pointed out that the Steelers are 5-0-1 when Chubb rushes for less than 80 yards and are 0-3 when he is able to get over that threshold. The Steelers will certainly have difficulty keeping Chubb below 80 yards on the ground, especially without their defensive captain, Cam Heyward.
Jeffrey Becker / USA TODAY Sports
Cameron Heyward finished the season with 10.5 sacks, 4 passes defended and tied a career high 23 quarterback hits.
Heyward suffered a groin injury during the Week 1 loss to the 49ers, and will undergo surgery. He is expected to miss at least eight weeks. Heyward is a key factor for the Steelers when it comes to stopping the run and his presence will certainly be missed on Monday night.
Another contributor on the defensive line is also dealing with a nagging injury, as Larry Ogunjobi was seen with a walking boot this week and has not been practicing. Ogunjobi has not been ruled out Monday night, but with him dealing with his injury, he might not be at 100 percent, even if he is available to play.
With that said, heads will turn towards other players that will need to step up if the Steelers plan to limit the success of Chubb. Isaiahh Loudermilk and Keeanu Benton will each need to have good games and be factors in clogging up running lanes for the Browns.
Joe Sargent / Getty Images
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi struggled with injuries in 2022, but still managed to start 16 games.
The defensive line is not the only unit that will need to be on top of their game in order to slow down Chubb. The three new linebackers the defense added in Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Kwon Alexander will also need to step up and have better tackling than they displayed in Week 1.
Chubb is not the only rushing threat the Steelers should be worried about, as Browns' Deshaun Watson is an extremely athletic quarterback who the defense will need to keep in check in the running game. The Steelers defense gave up 20 rushing yards on just three attempts to 49ers' Brock Purdy, and if open running lanes are there for Watson, he will take advantage of them, and for more than 20 yards. Watson rushed for 45 yards in Week 1 and will likely look to use his legs a lot against the Steelers poor rushing defense.
Cleveland Browns
Steelers rival, Cleveland Browns quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
The struggling Steelers offense has gotten a lot of attention since the loss in Week 1, however the biggest question mark going into Week 2 should be the run defense. Injuries along the defensive line and the rough tackling performance from the second unit last week will make it difficult to stop one of the best rushers in the league in Chubb. And as history shows, if the defense can't stop Chubb, it will be difficult for the Steelers to win this game.
What do you think the Steelers will do to slow down Chubb? Will the injuries along the defensive line play a factor? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
