Steelers Not Concerned With Baker Mayfield
PITTSBURGH -- Despite starting 4-1 and keeping his touchdown-interception ratio much lower than most of his career, Baker Mayfield seems to be at the bottom of the list for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
"They are running the ball well, and they are not behind in football games," head coach Mike Tomlin credited on Tuesday when asked about Mayfield's success. And since, not much has changed.
The Browns currently lead the NFL in rushing, only to match up with the league's top rush defense. Through four games, the Steelers have allowed just 256 yards to opposing running backs.
On the other end, the Browns' top two rushers are dominating at an equal rate. Nick Chubb, who's rushed for 335 yards this season, won't play on Sunday. He remains on Injured Reserve for Week 6, but his absence has only boosted the efforts of backup Kareem Hunt.
Hunt has totaled 347 yards through five games, taking control of the backfield the last two weeks without Chubb.
"They have a good offensive line," Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler credited the Browns continued running success. "Their offensive line is doing a good job for them. They do a good job of playing together. You rarely see them make any mistakes in terms of missing somebody to turn somebody loose or anything like that. They don't do that. They do a good job of getting a hat on a hat and running plays and cutting off people on the backside. They do a real good job of that. As a consequence, their running game has been really good."
But really, what Butler believes is the force behind the team's running ability without Chubb on the field is, "Kareem Hunt."
Inside linebacker, Devin Bush confirmed the team will focus primarily on the run when defending the Browns.
"That's the biggest thing, to be able to combat the run and being able to play those three hard downs and not let them rely on their run game and run clock the whole game," Bush said on Thursday. "We want to focus on the run game. Their run game is really, really big. It's a matchup we're all waiting for."
Mayfield isn't a player that can't have an impactful game. In 2020, he's completed 61% of his passes, throwing nine touchdowns to just four interceptions.
"Baker [Mayfield] 's always had a good arm," Butler said. "He's got a good, strong arm. He uses it too."
But even with the compliments, no one in Pittsburgh has been able to talk about Mayfield without mentioning the real push behind his success.
"What I think helps them is their running game," Butler continued. "You think about the whole league, the guys who have been successful in the league are the guys who run the football and then run play-action off of it because play action is much more effective if you can run the ball. They've been doing a good job of that and then getting some play action to move the ball down the field a little bit, trying to keep them out of third and long situations where we have to keep him in the pocket and all that stuff."
They have reason to. Despite a strong start, Mayfield still shows signs of instability.
Under pressure, Mayfield has completed just 42% of his passes. He's also been sacked seven times this season. Not a major flaw compared to the Eagles 14 sacks coming into Heinz Field, but a number that shows there is vulnerability upfront.
"You're taught to get after the quarterback," defensive end Cam Heyward said on Wednesday. "But for us, if you're going to run upfield, you've got to get hands on him. That way, you can come back on plays.
"Sometimes with guys, they shoot so far upfield they don't give themselves enough of a chance to come back. That creates a vertical hole and it makes Baker [Mayfield] able to choose and set up that hole to go up the middle. We've got to do a great job, especially the inside, of pressing that inside and being able to come back and destroy those rush lanes. Make sure he doesn't find the open gap. As a quarterback, if you can extend the pocket, you're bound to find a wide-open receiver."
So, that's the plan, or at least appears to be. Start by shutting down the run and let Mayfield try to win at Heinz Field.
Not the ideal situation for a player who's six game-winning drives in three seasons, who has relied heavily on play-action, or has struggled under pressure. Oh, and who is dealing with a rib injury.
"At the end of the day, I'm just trying to conflict good punishment. As a d-line and as a defense, you want to make sure the quarterback feels you. You want to make sure he's thinking about the rush. All those other things, his injuries, so be it. We play a physical game. He's going to come out there and try to be a warrior for his team. It's up to us to try and make him think about that injury during the day."
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
