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Steelers get to win over the Baltimore Ravens eighteen to sixteen. They improved to eight and two and take control of the AFC North. Now they go to Cleveland on a short week. Who the record is like looking at a mirror for the Steelers. They are two and eight on the season. But matt Am I wrong to say that no matter what the record of your opponent is, even if this wasn't an AFC North Division game, I don't like Thursday night football on the road.
Hate it. And frankly, I just heard this that coach Tomlin's not fond of it either. I think he's one and seven on road Thursday night games. And frankly, when the schedule came out, and even up until a couple of weeks ago, well maybe even a couple days ago, a couple hours ago, I thought, man, this is a terrible position for the Steelers to be in physical game. He knows it was going to be Baltimore, figured there'd be a lot of injuries. But the more I've been thinking through it, I like their chance. Of course, it's a losable game. I mean, I hate the whole Thursday thing. But they're relatively They're more than relatively healthy. They're very healthy all things considered. Sounds like Highsmith's the only guy that really be concerned about Browns have more injuries than the Steelers going on right now, corner and tackles a bit of a worry, and they're not in a very good place. And then when you start looking at the tactical stuff, I think this is a terrible matchup for the Browns.
I do too.
Yeah, when I look at your stat pack here and I'm prepping for this show, it's like, if this was a Sunday game, we'd be picking the Steelers by ten plus points, no question.
I just said that in the drive. I'm like, if these guys played coming off a bye in Wichita, Kansas, I'd pick the Steelers to win by a time. You know it is. I don't know how they block the edges.
They're gonna run all over Cleveland's defense.
Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of problems with this team that don't match up well with the Steelers strengths.
You're right, but it's the Thursday night thing that just keeps hanging over this game, kind of like an ugly cloud. And I do think they're gonna win. I said today on The Standard My Show, you know, if you win this game thirteen to ten, who cares, crumble up, throw it in the trash, move on to Cincinnati.
Little many by business trip.
It doesn't mean I wanted to see maybe a little more style points against the Ravens, score a touchdown, maybe prove yourself in that echelon with the Bills and the Chiefs. Not sure if you exactly did that yet, but I don't care about this in this game. This is a strictly like you said, business trip. If you have to win two nothing.
I don't care, three field goals, whatever.
Before we get to serious history and breaking down this matchup, I always like to dig out some of your best stats I think in your pack. This one is just unbelievable when you consider how tight this division usually is. Since twenty twenty three, the Steelers are now six and one in the division after their win against the Baltimore Ravens. Everybody in this division goes three and three or worse agaist each other for whatever reason. Starting last year, the Steelers have the sauce against all these teams. Yeah, I mean the only losses in Cleveland.
I know, so be it. But I would be shocked if they don't go at least three and three in the division. Now out they're one and oh I said that before the season. I bet they're four and two. It's just the Steelers understand their opponents really well in this division.
I believe that, seeing as I think they will for sure sweep the Browns and they already have the Ravens win in their back pocket.
Yeah, you flinched when I said for sure sweep the Browns now.
Because I know it's a Thursday night.
That's your three wins right in your back pocket right there.
I don't know that since he needs to play in Week eighteen either or if they, even.
If they were playing, have the ability to sweep the Steelers exactly exactly.
I don't know what they'll have to play for in that game.
Both of Pittsburgh's losses of this season to the Cowboys and the Colts were by three points in weeks four and five. Their average minus three point differential per loss that is the lowest in the NFL this season, and Pittsburgh has put stat or excuse Pittsburgh has put points on the board in twenty two consecutive quarters played. That is the longest streak in the NFL.
It's a good one. Huh.
You're starting to find offensive stats now this year that.
I know it used to be the offense that that's tomes to be real, real lean.
Yeah, but I think it's the Arthur Smith effect. I think it's the Russell Wilson effect. Obviously, they're starting to act like a professional offense now.
Yeah, I mean, scoring twenty two quarters in a row. Some of those you might have the ball by a lot of them, you have the ball once.
Let's take a look at the Cleveland Browns defense to start, Matt oh, I almost forgot our serious history. Yeah, because it was such a dominant series history for one side, it's easy to forget Bug meet Winshield.
That's the serious history between the Special League.
Since Chuck nol you know, right right exactly, since Auto Graham and Jim Brown.
The Browns have met the Steelers one hundred and forty four times dating back to nineteen fifty. Of those one hundred and forty four matchups, only three have been in the postseason, where Pittsburgh is two in one against the Browns. They did drop the most recent one, though in the postseason series. Overall, this series hits at eighty one, sixty three and one in Pittsburgh's favor. But to begin this series, Cleveland started off with an eight game winning streak, won twelve of the first first thirteen contests between the teams, and only had two losses out of the first eighteen times they met the Steelers. Starting in December of nineteen sixty two, though the tides greatly turned to the steelers favor. The Browns won just four games between that point in October of nineteen eighty three. Even more extreme, starting in nineteen ninety four January of nineteen ninety four, Pittsburgh has won forty three of the next fifty two games, with a tie thrown in. During that time, Steers have won four of the last six meetings, but the Browns won the last meeting or the latest meeting, thirteen to ten at game in Cleveland. Mike Tomlins career record versus Cleveland is twenty six, seven and one. Since two thousand and seven, the Steelers have outscored Cleveland by two hundred and seventy four points in these head to head matchups.
That's very overwhelming.
It's yeah, yeah, but they only have one win in Cleveland Stadium since twenty seventeen. Yeah, twenty twenty one, big Ben's last year. Because Big Ben's of course going to win his last game at that stadium. It's basically his stadium.
That was one of I was about to bring that up. I'm glad he did. Like that, blew me away for that stretch when he was the winningest quarterback in that state.
Baker finally was able to play eight games there.
Just to laugh at the Browns a bit because why not. Sure, Baker Mayfield finally overtook Ben for that embarrassing stat the Believers quarterback there, and then Baker Mayfield beat Ben and the Steelers in their house in a playoff game, and then the brown said, throw him away.
Yeah, Mayfield, what does he know?
What does he know about beating the Steelers? Watson?
Some of these franchises just can't get out of their own way, and Cleveland is one of them. They really are all right now looking at that defense, it allows thirteen point nine points in the first.
Leven incredibly intelligent and good looking scout go about twenty years ago.
Imagine where they'd be now you, if you were in the room, you wouldn't have let Baker go.
I know that's for sure. So Cleveland's defense ago three Super Bowls, right.
Thirteen point nine points allowed in the first half. Only five teams are worse. So you can start really fast against the Cleveland Browns, and their point totals right around like twenty four points per game throughout a whole game. So it doesn't really slow down much in the second half either. They're allowing a decent amount of points to be scored on them. And that's surprising because this is a defense that has rivaled the Steelers in the past couple of years as far as maybe they're the best in the NFL.
Maybe they're an elite defense. Yeah, not the case this year.
Real quick, what side of the ball was that you lost people? For one thing?
This is when Pittsburgh has the ball. So Cleveland's defense allows thirteen point nine in the first half.
Well, you're aware of the other side of the ball the half splits, correct.
I do have that here? When which is bonkers?
Cleveland? The Browns generate just six point seven points of offense in the first half of the game, and.
The Steelers defense is the best in the second half.
Right, So if you don't score early on the Steelers, you don't really score at all.
And the Browns don't score early, right, Right, we'll get to that.
The offense, I know, but I just thought they correlated.
For sure, they do, right, But it is surprising to me that defensive one, because that that was really the identity of this team forever, and it didn't get much worse in the offseason, but it's playing worse.
Playing worse. One thing I do think we have to note with this team just to be fair, which is sort of true. It's definitely true for the Steelers too, is the last The Winston era is a little bit different than before. That the Wilson era is a little bit different than before. That doesn't mean they're noticeably different, but they were so dysfunctional the first six weeks or so of the season with Watson. Some of these stats are bottom of the league garbage where they should just be bottom of the league, you know what I mean?
What's the secondary looking like for the Browns? House picking's gonna do?
It's hard to say.
Coming off of that season high in targets.
Newsom and Ward are both When we record this in short week, you never know questionable to play, so I don't know what their situation is, But you're right. The defense has talent and it was a great defense a year ago. They've traded Darius Smith, j Okay's out, their linebackers aren't great, but it's not playing nearly as well as it did last year. And I would assume it's a human element of it too, like Watson can get a first down and getting tired of this.
You know.
Now, this is an interesting stat to me when it comes to Mike Williams because I think a lot of people are being allowed right now.
After the game against the Ravens, oh, where's Mike Williams. Where's Mike Williams.
His raw participation actually went up against the Ravens, quit a bit twenty one percent against the Commanders, and his debut thirty six percent against the Ravens. He just didn't get targeted, so people didn't.
Really know him. And to be very honest, I thought it was an uninspired Austin Jefferson Williams game. But they also throw to pickings a ton. But Williams is ramping.
Up high in targets with twelve and eight receptions last week, and as you mentioned, with Williams ramping up, the more you see Van Jefferson, I know this was probably not going to be even a first down, let alone a touchdown.
But he misses a bunny in the red zone something like that.
I mean, the more Tomlin sees that, the more Smith sees that, the more Rust sees that, Let's get Mike out there.
Yeah. I think that's where the direction they're going.
Miles Garrett is still the top dog on this defense. He leads them with seven sacks. No one else on the roster has more than three.
Why does it feel like he's not the same Miles Garrett this year?
Though?
I think he's against the Saints, no statistic the.
Second time this year he played the whole game and did.
Nothing, didn't register, don't even know half tackle not.
I get in a lot of trouble around here because he's so hated, and I think he is.
You love him so much. I love him so much.
He's so good. He's so good, folks. If the Steelers lose this game, he might be the entire reason that it.
Really the only logical bead you can draw on them losing a.
Pretty unless Winston rolls doubles over and over, you know what I mean, Sometimes once a while he does. Yeah, but I will say, Garrett, he has he's gonna get foot surgery after the year, and he's on the injured list, and the whole defense just isn't as inspired as it was.
I mean, part of that what you were saying with the deflation from Watson just like.
Yeah, like watching the Saints game, they didn't want to tackle Taysom Hill. They didn't want to be there. The offense has a little bit of juice to it now with Winston.
But the defense you kind of lost the defense already, Yeah, I think so, And you're not getting back now.
And you can blame Garrett if you want for that, but I'm a Garrett apologist. He's a ridiculous football player.
I blame coaching more than that.
I mean, not to be able to wake that side of the ball up when Winston came up put it. But at the same time, I mean, maybe you waited too long to put Winston in. You were already what two and six at that point.
Now you're too dug your own grave.
And when they've be traded for Watson.
Garrett's got caught it on the mine.
The defense has got vacation plans I think already starting to line up.
I wonder if even they shut him down and he gets with surgery or whatever.
It's probably not the worst idea for Cleveland.
Uh, you mentioned how they had no interest in tackling Taysom Hill. The Saints ran for two hundred and fourteen yards against Cleveland last week. One hundred and thirty eight came on seven Taysom Hill carries. One hundred and thirty eight yards on seven carries from Taysom Hill. See whys kind of have a Taysom Hill Matt.
I think you'll see Fields in somewhat of a similar capacity, Like they're not apples to apples, because Fields is a quarterback.
That can yet Taysom Hill is a tight and.
As a gunner and a punt protector.
And he's a really good football player.
He's a good football player.
Yes, Fields is more polished the quarterback.
And we did see Fields run, and I think we'll see Field Svallech.
The only thing that got in the Fields running or in the way of Fields running was justin Fields himself.
Take one more step short, just take one more step, you.
Know, I know that you're now in the mindset as a quarterback in the NFL to slide. Always go back to your Ohio State days, dude, Like put the shoulder down into somebody. You see Anthony Richardson's goal line run against the when the first down to win the game is on the line, JO something like that. At least dive where you don't give yourself up.
That's why we do this job.
Than that.
Still highlight some of that water.
And I'm sure he'll tell you the same things, and I think it's.
Valid to highlight it because again, I think you can use him in this game. You think a short week benefits him getting out there more or less.
Though I wondered Tomlin kind of.
Had this tone in his press conference where it was kind of like, we're going to keep it simple, stupid this week because the Browns really familiar with us, and it's such a short week to install anything like.
When we get to the fields is a simple kind of package.
It's just it's already in the playbook, right, It's.
Not it's not rocket science, like you're not.
And I doubt you know, I know Wilson's a little older. It's his body hurting a little.
Bit on a short week, got beat up, you.
Know, at least has just thrown it out there. I don't know.
One less stat on the Steelers offense forty four point four red zone success rate That is only better than the Giants and the Cowboys.
Point pretty bad.
Yeah, touchdowns, you got to Russell Wilson has made a career scoring touchdowns, justin Fields has shown a bit of better track record in a higher sample size in the red zone so far this year. Converting touchdowns as opposed to field goals versus Russell Wilson, I don't know.
And you're pretty fortunate to have a great field coaches.
The coaches, including Tomlin, especially Tomlin, has made unbelievably tough decisions this year when it comes to the quarterback position, and this red zone thing. I think is another one that's facing them is do I put fields in there to get this five yards?
I'm a big no on that. Yeah, because Wilson's history is he is an elite red zone passer, and I still believe that to be true, and I didn't I think throwing touchdown passes is supportant. I've been saying that for a year.
I'm gonna know on it as well. Here's a little different reason, though, I don't trust Justin Fields completely. Still, he slid short of the game winning first down. Hello, like you don't want him to do something stupid in a weighty moment at the goal line. I'll be honest.
When he came out there for that play, I kind of didn't yell, but said to my TV, the guy that struggles with quarterback center exchange, you're trusting.
The I was, you know, a little more surprised that he got the second play after he sleep short.
He was out there for the handoff the denage, but again water on the bridge.
Like you said, they love him, though I mean, I'm not saying I don't. I mean I like feeling I.
Would be enamored with that capability because the Ravens couldn't stop it when it mattered the most.
But he slid short. You just can't trust the guy. That's my big problem. There's always a little something.
In the back of your head, just like I don't know if i've and like you SA said, with the center snap exchange too, it's probably in the back of their head kicking around.
A little bit like he could fumble this snap.
We saw it against Indy offense for the Browns sixteen point two points per game. Only the Giants are worse in the NFL, So this is technically the second worst offense in football because all that matters to scoring points at the end of the day. Pittsburgh sixteen point two points allowed per game, well, that's only behind the La Chargers for the best in the NFL when it comes to a defense. So this is a bestund worst matchup when it comes to the NFL.
I definitely think they're more dangerous now though with Winston and they have three receivers in the Djoku that are NFL players, you know what I mean. Like, but they are a.
League worst four point four yards per play, but that's up a full yard in the past three games exactly. They're averaging five point right now. But that's that that we already kind of spoiled. That they generate just six point seven yard or six point seven points on average in the first half of games. It's the worst in the league in the first half. They're under a touchdown every time. That's just not going to get it done. And then we talked about the Steelers allowing just six point four points on average in the second half of games.
So they really shut teams down.
What was it?
It wasn't it was the Commander's game, that drive out of the halftime. It's the first time they give up points in the third quarter.
Third quarter points.
Yeah, Browns throw the ball the highest rate in the NFL sixty five point nine percent.
Not changing with jamis either they.
Are with him and even more downfield, and they're also losing a lot. But still they don't run the ball. They're not the Nick Chubb offense like they used to be.
How's the pass protection for Winston?
The worst in the league.
Is like most Like we said at.
The beginning of this show, I mean, this is a matchup on paper that the Steelers just avalanche.
The tackle thing would really worry me. And Dwad Jones is out for the year. They've had a lot of different offensive line starting groups injuries.
He holds a.
Ball to drive it downfield. He's not real mobile. This is not going to be a Washington Baltimore rush to keep him in the pocket. This is going to be rush to take the quarterbacks head off and instance not.
You said he holds on the ball and gets it downfield.
He's not a quarterback that you coach into quick passes through a full sixty minutes right Like you might have a game plan here where Winston's getting the ball out quick early, but he's just gonna sit back there and be Jamis Winsday.
He is who he is. He has a lot of DNA that is fun, but it's also dangerous.
One of the best college quarterbacks I've seen. The season at Florid State was insane.
I mean, he's picked number one overall for a reason.
Absolutely. His teammates love him too.
He's a great teammate.
In his three starts, he averaged he's been averaging forty four point three pass attempts. That's amazing, three hundred and twenty one point three passing yards. He has a five to three touchdown interception ratio, and his attempted ninety nine passes so far in a Brown's uniform. You're getting fun football when it comes to Jamis Winston.
Yeah, it's like his receivers are loving it there.
If you're a bad team on your television, hope that Jamis Winston is playing quarterback for that bad team.
It's going to be fun.
He's thrown the ball seventy one fewer times than Watson this year, he only has one hundred and one fewer passing yards, and he has two more touchdown passes, so two more past week. Right, his targets Jerry Judy. I always thought Jerry Judy was a really good wide receiver. He's starting to play better with a quarterback that can throw.
In the full competent quarterback. All three catches last week, one hundred and forty two yards in a touchdown.
That's a Jerry Judy performance that I thought you get a lot more when he came out of Alabama.
And I still think Tillman's the one, but it's hard to tell because they all get about the equal targets with Winston and Nijoku's a force too well.
Winston actually played pretty well last week, three hundred and ninety five yards, did not throw an interception either.
There were two we of course.
I was going to He's such a roller coaster of a quarterback.
I love seeing him throw up numbers one week because I think the next week you're going to get him.
That's the four interception, Yeah, right.
Into the Steelers' hands with that one.
I just think sacks are coming in a plenty.
I agree he holds onto the ball way too much. It won't be a frustrating ay, He's getting it out in half a second and it'll be like Daron Rodgers, you know, yep, exactly what's up with Nick Chubb since coming back from the injury.
Just that's a tough injury to come back from.
It is, but they're also always losing, which means wards out there.
He just said that they can't play the team.
They can't play the script that he works, and he doesn't look the same, averaging like three and a half yards of carrias.
It's see one of those backs too that you got to give him like twenty five carries.
He kind of went the defense the mount.
Honestly, when he before his injury, I thought he was the best ball carrier in the league over Henry, even over Henry, I mean, special guy. And I know he's a Brown, but I'm rooting for him because a brutal injury.
It was a brutal injury.
And again, yeah, Brown, you you have enough to laugh at that organization for Nick Chubb was an all timer for that organization. And that's a rich history of running backs that he was adding to. So yeah, I hope that the end of that story isn't Oh he got injured in a Steeler game and it was never the same.
Like, give him a couple more years.
And maybe this is the week he looks better. I mean, he doesn't look terrible. There's not a lot of opportunity. The blocking is bad, you know.
The Browns offense has only been to the red zone seventeen times this year. Close in the league, the Bears rank thirty first with just twenty three trips to the red zone.
But here's a pretty big discrepancy.
But here's a silver lining, too, Cleave. Your team is pretty much in the dumps right now. Chicago's supposed to be turning and around with the rookie quarterback and they're only been in the red zone six more times than you have.
But that's a bad look for Cleveland. Terrible, right.
I think that's maybe going up a little bit too this week with with Jamis. Although Jamis does a lot of damage outside of the red it's a lot of big play, splash kind of stuff.
H per EPA. Only the Eagles and Bears.
Have faced an easier slate of defenses than Cleveland to this point in the season. So they stink on offense and they don't play anybody.
They haven't played anybody, and it's about to get way harder for them.
Yeah, you added on here, including these this game against Steelers and then of course another game against the Steelers. Only the Bears, Ravens and lines face a more difficult slate of defenses moving forward.
If you thought it was bad and now you're starting to get some signs, it's like now it's a steeper hill to climb.
Little hidden thing in that step before we get to our key matchups. I like hearing that the Ravens face a very difficult slate of defenses.
Moving for as well.
You're in control of the AFC North, but you can always use an extra loss or to to help you out.
In the last week because it included the Deelers.
Key matchups in this one David and Joku versus Steelers safety. To Shawn Elliott, boy, what a great signing, Elliott. I'm done saying just good. I think it's been a great sign and it's just been exactly what you needed. You didn't go out and get an All Pro, so you're not gonna expect an all pro performance, but you're expecting to be a solid safety, solid compliment with Minka, and he's been.
He's been awesome, well above average starter.
I didn't put Porter on there because I don't know if he'll follow this week, or if they'll just kind of play sides or you know, the Joku is a little bit easier one to target.
Yeah, I think in Joku's maybe.
I don't know though, because Jerry Judy is impressive, and like you said, someone's not bad either.
It's not a terrible receiving course. There's some weapons for him to.
Throw to the path. The Steelers losing is that foursome, including the Joku. Jamis gets hot, Jamis throws for three point fifty and Garrett has four sacks and Garrett iss four sacks right, uh, and.
Then the offensive tackles versus Brown's defensive end. Miles Garrett.
Now, before Dann More, before Dan Moore broke out this year and actually became a very solid time in the NFL, he was always known as kind of this like one trick pony against Miles Garrett.
He was the Miles Garrett stopper. Well, now I think they're gonna move Like you said, they.
Move them around.
They're going to move me Gyard over to the.
Other side more in this game, because there is such a weakness over there that you'd have to and be stupid not to exploit.
I would imagine. I would imagine I'll see a lot of darnet washing and to help Rod Russell Wilson, Right, Yeah, I.
Agree with that, And we were just saying Jameis Winston is not coachable when it comes to getting the ball out quick.
To face a pass rush. Russell Wilson is.
Very coachable to get the ball out quick with pass rush. Dump it off the nage, dump it off the Jalen quick screen to fire me if he it won't. I think you're gonna do you see a better job this week of dealing with pressure than you did against Baltimore and Washington the previous team.
I tend to think so, and let's say they better be better at it. But in the end, I'm with you. I don't care how it looks, as long as it's a W at the end.
Steelers in Browns on Thursday in Cleveland. Matt's gonna be on the air around four o'clockish on dve to get things going. Steelers Audio Network pregame starts at six fifteen and then eight to fifteen kickoff in Cleveland. Steelers try to get to nine or nine and two and should get to nine and two Formatt Williamson and Tom Offerman. We'll talk to you next week when we PREVIEUW Steelers and the Bengals.
