Steelers Will Need to Earn Right to Pass Rush vs. Browns
Whether it would've been Baker Mayfield or Case Keenum behind center this Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to earn the right to rush the passer.
While it sounds as if the former number one overall pick, Mayfield will give it a go, there's no guarantee that he'll be able to finish the game. It's no secret that the driving force behind the Cleveland Browns' success on offense is behind their potent rushing attack, one that currently leads the entire NFL at 170.4 yards per game. Enter the Steelers' defense, one that has had some problems at times stopping teams on the ground. Their last contest before the bye week featured a less than impressive second half in which Seahawks running back Alex Collins ran amuck at Heinz Field.
The Browns have the second most rushing attempts in football through 7 weeks with a whopping 227 carries on the ground. However, they're not just a high-volume rushing team. The Browns also tout an impressive 47.9% success rate on the ground, which ranks fourth in the entire league. The Browns clearly have a defined identity on the offensive side of the football, one that they will not deviate from unless forced to.
That's where the Steelers' defense must win on Sunday, they have to control the point of attack against this talented Browns front. Even without Nick Chubb in week six, D'Ernest Johnson ran for 146 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos. Even despite the mass amount of injuries, the Browns have continued to plug and play guys into spots and haven't seemed to miss much of a beat.
The Browns injury report is lengthy and includes some of their best players on both sides of the football. As of now, it remains to be seen whether or not the Steelers will face the likes of Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, JC Tretter due to their various injuries. Jarvis Landry and Jack Conklin have both declared that they will be back in the lineup this weekend against Pittsburgh, giving Cleveland a boost.
T.J. Watt saved the Steelers from an embarrassing home loss to a backup quarterback by taking over the overtime period on Sunday Night Football. A loss in that spot would have put a serious dent into the Steelers playoff chances, which currently sits at 21%, according to FiveThirtyEight. Opposite Watt, Alex Highsmith had his best game of the season in Week 6, compiling four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on Geno Smith. Highsmith was clearly in a groove, playing at such a high level that he literally didn't come off of the field as he played all 65 defensive snaps.
If Keith Butler wants to unleash his terrifying edge rush duo, he'll need to find a way to stop the Browns rushing attack first. It would be wise to try to slide Terrell Edmunds into the box count more this week than they were able to do last time out against the Seahawks. The Steelers will need to bet big on their corners being able to hold up on the outside and commit more bodies to the run.
Without a return in sight from Stephon Tuitt, Tomlin's Steelers will continue counting on rather inexperienced guys such as Isaiahh Loudermilk, Henry Mondeaux and Isaiah Buggs. Chris Wormley has held his own for the most part while stepping in for Tuitt but he's more of a rotational piece rather than full-time starter. Teams have had the most success running against the Steelers whenever Cam Heyward is off of the field or to whichever side Heyward is not lining up on. The Steelers defensive line depth could very well be the deciding factor on whether or not the Steelers move to 1-1 in the AFC North.
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