Before their Week 18 match against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney made some critical remarks of the coaching staff, mainly about defensive coordinator, Joe Barry. He alleged that there was special treatment for his star teammate, Myles Garrett. He even mentioned that there is a very slim chance that he’s back in Cleveland for the 2023 season. Clowney was then sent back home and will be considered inactive for their last game of the season. When asked about the situation, Garrett pulled a page out of head coach, Mike Tomlin’s book with his response. The whole situation is just a bad look on a team that’s full of bad looks.
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“I just feel like I need to be around somebody that believes in me and my ability. [It can’t] just be me believing in myself. I believe in myself more than anyone.”
That was Clowney’s original statement on how he believes the coaches don’t think highly of him. After that and a few other statements he made, he was told to go home, and his time in Cleveland is all but confirmed to be over. Of course, the Steelers are looking at this and smiling, as that’s one less problem for this offensive line to deal with. They already have to deal with Myles Garrett rushing against Dan Moore, so this is somewhat of a sigh of relief. The Browns are content with moving on without him, with Garrett making a familiar comment:
“We just want volunteers, not hostages.”
Many people in Steeler Nation remember when Tomlin made that comment for when Steven Nelson and Melvin Ingram demanded to be traded away during the 2021 calendar year. Myles Garrett said the same for Clowney, who made it very obvious over the week that he has no desire to be a Cleveland Brown anymore. Now, the Browns will finish the season without him, like how the Steelers played in 2021 after cutting Nelson in the off-season and trading Ingram away at the deadline, even though it's just one game for Cleveland.
Steven Nelson was upset that the Steelers were promising Cameron Sutton a chance to take his spot as CB2. Melvin Ingram was upset about being a rotational piece instead of a starter, despite being signed to be a rotational piece. Clowney just feels overshadowed and disrespected by his own defensive coordinator. He also mentioned that there’s just “a 5% chance” that he stays with the Browns after the season ends. That chance is probably much closer to zero now after being told to go home.
What Clowney’s absence means for the Steelers in Week 18
Alex Wright and Chase Winovich are listed as backups to Clowney on the Browns’ depth chart, so it’s safe to say that Steelers right tackle, Chukwuma Okorafor will see plenty of them this week, while Moore still tries to handle Myles Garrett on the other side. Wright and Winovich can be solid as rotational pieces, especially Winovich, but now they’ll get more time to shine against a Steelers offensive line that has improved throughout the season.
The bad thing, however, is the Steelers were most likely preparing to face Clowney more than Wright or Winovich, so the focus has to quickly shift gears. The news came out Friday morning, so the Steelers have one day to prepare for the backups in practice, and two days to watch enough film of them to know how to accurately neutralize their strengths. It still very is possible, although it’s not exactly ideal.
What are your thoughts on the drama around Clowney in Cleveland? Let us know in the comments below.
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