Oh, How the Browns Will Be the Browns
PITTSBURGH -- There are two VERY different teams preparing for the Pittsburgh Steelers-Cleveland Browns matchup in Week 6.
On one side, you have the Steelers. A team that's 4-0 for the first time since 1979, who has tried to downplay their success all season and has completely moved on from the fiasco of 2019.
On the other side, you have the Browns.
For those that don't remember what this is all about, here's a quick rundown:
Garrett and Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph got into an altercation during the two teams' Week 11 matchup in Cleveland, last season.
The spat led to Garrett ripping Rudolph's helmet off and using it as a weapon to hit the quarterback over the head. Eventually, center Maurkice Pouncey and guard David DeCastro got involved, leading to an all-out brawl in the endzone between the Browns and Steelers.
Garrett was suspended indefinitely until he was reinstated in February. He claims Rudolph used a racial slur during the incident. Rudolph has denied the claim and an NFL investigation found no evidence of Garrett's accusation.
It's no surprise the Steelers have tried their hardest to avoid the Myles Garrett talk this week. Head coach Mike Tomlin spent about 15 seconds addressing it, only to tell reporters that he can really care less about last season.
"They're a 4-1 team," Tomlin said Tuesday. "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."
Defensive captain Cameron Heyward said he's not mad about last year's debacle, and Chuks Okorafor, the tackle who will likely line up across from Garrett this weekend, barely even mentioned it.
That's the Steelers.
Then, there's the Browns. A team clearly still dealing with a situation that should have come and gone a long time ago. As Garrett tries time and time again to convince the world that Rudolph let out a word or phrase that should never come out of his mouth, the Browns continue to ride the "we need to have our teammate's back" train.
It's fine. This is honestly what the Steelers hope is happening in Cleveland this week. Let them focus on an incident that occurred a year ago while Pittsburgh prepares for Week 6.
Yes, it's motivation for the Browns. This is what they need to do to get hyped up for the game and play with that chip on their shoulder. But it's also going to make them irrationally angry during the game.
It'll lead to players trying to play hero ball and big plays trying to be made when there isn't a need for them to be. Ultimately, it'll alter the Browns' gameplan, which will affect their play on the field.
"They're a good football team. This is AFC North football, and you can say what you want about past records and times played, but those are previous years," Tomlin said. "This is a new football team, new coaching staff, but they obviously have a new staff. We're a new team. They're a new team."
If there's one thing you always know about the Steelers is that they only look forward. Dreading on the past leads to the same mistakes you've made before. Looking ahead leads to adaptation and success.
Cleveland's looking backward.
Oh, and these two teams have already played since the Garrett-Rudolph situation happened. The "We've got to do this for Myles" quote was used last year. But we'll let that slide.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
