The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very tough task ahead of them. Even with how poorly the Cleveland Browns were rated in the preseason, it's been very tough for the Black and Gold to leave northern Ohio with a win. That has not happened since 2021, and on top of that, Cleveland is entering the contest on a two-game winning streak with quality play from the skill positions and a strong defense. It's also a road game on Thursday Night Football, where Pittsburgh has historically struggled.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers defense on a Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
Even with all of these trends going against the Steelers, they still have one key advantage that can change everything. While making an appearance on the Locked On Steelers Podcast, Nick Farabaugh explained how Pittsburgh can leave Cleveland with a dominating win.
"The Steelers have played Deshaun Watson three times in his career," Farabaugh said. "Every single time, they've had five or more sacks... and the Steelers have been able to create lots and lots of negative plays when Deshaun Watson's been the quarterback, whether that's been turnovers, or that's been sacks... the Steelers have been able to use their edge rushers and create a lot of havoc."
Even going back to his time with the Houston Texans, Deshaun Watson has been unable to figure out how to beat this aggressive Blitzburgh defense. He has taken 18 total sacks in those games while throwing four interceptions, and two fumbles lost. It has been years since the Steelers played against him due to the quarterback constantly getting injured, but more of the same is expected in this contest.
In 2023, the Steelers' defense almost single-handedly won the game against the Browns. On Monday Night Football, a tipped pass led to a pick-six by Alex Highsmith on the first play from scrimmage of the game. In the fourth quarter, Highsmith got a strip-sack that TJ Watt returned for the go-ahead score. 14 of Pittsburgh's 26 points in that game came directly from takeaways by the edge rushers.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt scoops up a loose ball in the fourth quarter during Week 2 in 2023 against the Cleveland Browns.
If the Steelers can force Watson into these tough situations and sack him as much as they have done in the past, there's no reason that they shouldn't win this game. It definitely helps that new Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham does not want to be predictable with his game plan. Making the quarterback hold onto the ball for that extra beat could lead to more of these game-changing splash plays.
The Steelers need to take full advantage of Watson's issues against this high-flying defense. Starting the year 3-1 with two divisional wins will put them in a great spot to take over a very strong AFC North. It's going to be a hard lead to hang onto with the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals being right on Pittsburgh's tail, but it's much better than trying to catch up and potentially fight for a wild card spot.
Steelers Need To Be Cautious On Offense
The Steelers aren't the only team with a stout defense. Outside of Week 1, the Browns have played very well, including in their Week 3 game, when they held the high-flying Carolina Panthers' offense to just 18 points. If they can hang with Carolina, they can definitely cause trouble for this Pittsburgh unit that has had just one good game so far in the season. This still likely won't be an easy win.
The best thing the Steelers can do in this situation is play old-school Pittsburgh football: give the rock to Jaylen Warren and let him wear down Cleveland's unit. If he can establish the run while Blitzburgh does its thing, victory is all but assured. Of course, that is a lot easier said than done, and the Browns have plenty of bulletin board material to play extra hard against the Black and Gold.
What do you think about the Steelers dominating Watson historically? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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