The Pittsburgh Steelers have been expecting a lot out of left tackle Broderick Jones in his third season. The former first-round pick had a very rough training camp, but things have seemed to settle down for him in his first season at his natural position. He still has a long way to go before being the premier blindside blocker that he was drafted to be, but progress is progress. He still has time to grow, and maybe he could be a much better player by the end of the season than he is now.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones (77) gets ready to block Buffalo Bills pass rusher Leonard Floyd during their 2023 AFC Wild Card Round matchup in Orchard Park, NY.
Week 6 will be a big test for him, as he will have to go up against the Cleveland Browns and their elite defense. Primarily, he will have to face Myles Garrett. However, he does not seem to be phased by the challenge. During an interview after Wednesday's practice, Jones explained how he is approaching this upcoming matchup.
"Just coming in with the right mindset. I think that's 90% of the battle," Jones said. "Just not getting in your own head before it's time and just going out there and playing your game."
With a former Defensive Player of the Year lining up directly across from you, it's easy to get in your own head. Every player believes that he can go up against the best of the best, and Jones is no different.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones (77) makes his first career start at right tackle against the Tennessee Titans in primetime.
In that sense, Jones is 100% right. Once he doesn't see Garrett as some insane pass rusher that can't be stopped, he gives himself a chance to prove his doubters wrong and shut him down. Of course, the other 10% is actually following the scouting report and doing what you do best. You can still have confidence and lose, but that is not the plan here.
To make things even better for Jones' mentality, Garrett has not played well recently. In his last three weeks, he has only racked up 0.5 sacks and 11 tackles. He didn't even have a tackle for loss or a quarterback hit in the Browns' Week 5 game, and even the analytics are starting to turn on him. Of course, he always seems to be extra motivated when playing the Steelers, so things could change on a dime. Jones should expect Garrett to be at his best on Sunday.
Steelers' Recent Gameplan Should Help Jones Out
During the Steelers' Week 4 contest, they ran a lot of jumbo sets to help the run game out, and it indirectly helped with the passing attack as well. With an elite defense like Cleveland's coming up, Pittsburgh would likely want to tire them out early so they can take advantage of that in the second half. They do love establishing the run early on.
Tyler Miller / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell runs behind Darnell Washington during a Week 4 game in the 2025 season in Dublin, Ireland.
Getting help from guys like Darnell Washington would be a major help to Jones in his quest to stop Garrett. If they can keep him out of the backfield, the running backs should have plenty of holes to hit like they did back in their game in Ireland. That would also help quarterback Aaron Rodgers stay upright in the pocket as he goes through his progressions.
Staying out of your own head is 90% of the battle. The rest of it goes to executing well and getting some help from your offensive coordinator. You don't want to leave your young tackle on an island with one of the scarier players in the league. Jones still has to do his part, but with his mentality and his coaches helping him out, he is ready to take on Garrett in Week 6.
What do you think about Jones' mentality prior to facing the Browns? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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