Tomlin Takeaways: Did Anyone Expect Browns-Steelers to Be This Important?
PITTSBURGH -- "We love being in the kitchen. AFC North ball is in the kitchen."
Mike Tomlin welcomed Browns Week with a hardy reminder that their division rivals in Cleveland are more alive than many expected at this point. Five games into the season and the AFC North is a tight race between three teams - two of which will meet this weekend.
Week 5 was a little disappointing. Watching Chase Claypool score four touchdowns, helping Ben Roethlisberger lead the offense to a late-game win, was a pleasure. The rookie did more than find his footing, adding another wideout to the list of receiving stars the Steelers have drafted throughout the years.
Still, allowing 29 points against a team working with three backup linemen and two young receivers isn't the standard Pittsburgh expects from their defense.
Which is where we'll start.
Fixing 3rd Down Defense
The Steelers allowed 10 third-down conversions in Week 5, leaving everyone up-in-arms about the defensive efficiency.
The Eagles weren't a team with much offensive firepower. Miles Sanders broke a 74-yard touchdown run, which was shocking, but not the most surprising success of the Eagles' offense.
"We just didn't do a good job of controlling the circumstances," Tomlin said, "and really, to be quite honest with you, some of the circumstances were advantageous to us, meaning third-and-long."
Basically unknown prior to Sunday, Travis Fulgham finished with 10 receptions, 152 yards and a touchdown. He was everywhere, including third downs. And Tomlin acknowledged that, sometimes, there's nothing you can do to stop someone that hot.
"Some of the issues aren't issues. Some of the issues are just third 13 [Travis Fulgham] was just making comeback catches and you have to acknowledge that," Tomlin said. "A couple of those conversions were thrown into tight coverages and they were great throws.
"That one down the field, we were in two deep man under. Mike Hilton was in close proximity to 13. He made a combat catch down the field running blind. You have to respect that. He made a circus jump catch in front of our bench when Steve Nelson was draped all over him and challenging the throw and catch from start to finish, so it's not always something that you have to fix."
He plans on helping assure those third-down conversions aren't a problem moving forward. It will be more mental than physical, as Tomlin understands it's not the gameplan that failed them in Week 5.
"It's good to see our group gain that understanding," Tomlin said. "Everything that requires a meeting or a dry erase board or an adjustment, sometimes it's just get back out there and fight. It was some of that."
"It's Hot in the North"
The Browns are nothing to take for granted. At 4-1, Cleveland has found their stride and are coming into Pittsburgh with momentum, a serious run game, and a promising Baker Mayfield.
"They're 4-1 on the season. We've got a lot of respect for them, their journey and where they're at in their journey. We're excited about the challenge that a week like this presents for us and how we manage it, how we prepare, how we're focused and ultimately how we play."
It's a rivalry that may be dimming due to the under-achievements of Cleveland. The Browns went from bad to worse to forgettable over the last decade. This year, it's different. But as much as the media will say it's a rivalry, Tomlin won't look at it as such.
"You think Kevin Stefanski cares or Joe Woods cares or some of the significant components, some of the new people care? No," Tomlin said. "Do you think some of our new people care, some significant components of our equation, guys like [Eric] Ebron and others who don't have that shared experience? I've learned to shelve my experiences and get focused on the variables at hand because often times they aren't shared experiences."
A win for the Steelers, and they take a two-game lead over the Browns in the AFC North. A win for the Browns, and a loss for the Ravens, and they take the division lead.
I did not see the Browns coming, especially after Week 1. I was wrong.
Browns Offense
We'll start by saying this, Mayfield is playing well, but he hasn't impressed Tomlin enough to get recognition.
"They are running the ball well, and they are not behind in football games." That's why he's playing well, according to the Steelers head coach.
Nick Chubb remains on IR with a medial collateral ligament injury sustained in Week 4. The second-year running back has only gotten better from his dominant first season. But even without him, the Browns running game, and Kareem Hunt, have held down the fort.
"The other teams we played don't have [Nick] Chubb and [Kareem] Hunt and the quality front I mentioned," Tomlin said.
Through five games, Hunt has accumulated 347 yards and three scores. A credit Tomlin hands to the running back and the offensive line Cleveland has assembled.
"[Jack] Conklin and the first-rounder at left tackle [Jedrick Willis Jr.] and the quality guys they have been able to assemble inside. Hubb [Chris Hubbard] particularly might be playing guard for them. We all know and respect Chris Hubbard," Tomlin said. "They have quality players. They have quality schematics. Kevin Stefanski has been around solid run games all of his career. He spent a lot of time up in Minnesota during the Adrian Peterson years and even after. The Minnesota Vikings have always been a group that is capable of running the ball. There is a commitment there. Bill Callahan, their line coach, carries that reputation as well. They are the reason they are different."
Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry have also entered the mix. After a disappointing season-opener against Baltimore, the Browns' receiving core has come to life.
Beckham Jr. currently has 294 yards and Landry has 279. Both will challenge a Steelers secondary who struggled against the Eagles.
"In the season opener I don't think any of them had a good experience. They lost the football game and they had a bad game," Tomlin said on the Browns offense. "Since then, they've won four in a row. Whether you are talking about an individual or a collective, that summarizes their journey to this point."
Myles Garrett
You're either thinking of one of two things when the thought is "Myles Garrett." One, Mason Rudolph having a helmet smacked off his head, in a heated altercation that has continued to be the center of attention between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Or two, his six sacks, 10 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles.
Tomlin is thinking of the latter.
"We know about his freakish talent," Tomlin said. "He's got the play to match here in 2020. He's a defensive player of the year-like candidate. Looking at the video, he's a sack-fumble guy, he's been a game-changer in just about every game he has played so far."
The headlines surrounding Garrett's return to Pittsburgh for the first game against the Steelers since his 2019 season ended for the Rudolph incident will remain strong. It's obviously a talking point when discussing the rivalry between these two teams.
Again, though, Tomlin just doesn't care.
"They're a 4-1 team," Tomlin said. "We're trying to remain undefeated. We're not looking for that low-hanging fruit or that reality TV storyline and so forth. This is a big game here in 2020."
Instead, he's focused on the amount of challenge Garrett will bring to his offensive line. Chuks Okorafor will line up against the defensive end quite a bit during the game.
Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro dealing with injuries will allow Garrett to move around and face different, younger linemen. So, talking about a helmet isn't the concern.
"There really is no message," Tomlin said. "My day-to-day existence kind of relays that message that you suggested. There's a lot on the table in reference to this game, in terms of stakes."
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
