On a day we had our attention split between three different screens (thank you, privilege) the Steelers were singularly focused DeShaun Watson’s first appearance at Acrisure Stadium. The Welcoming Committee dropped off a lovely gift basket full of festive nuts, two INT’s, seven sacks, (sing this last part with me, to the tune of “12 Days of Christmas”) and a 28-14 defeat.
HB Najee Harris had a TD on the Steelers’ first drive but it was called short on the field. Instead of challenging the ruling Mike Tomlin and Co elected to try a quick QB sneak. After that was stuffed, Naj tried to go over the top but the Browns plugged the middle and punched the ball loose, recovering at their five yard line.
There was another near-miscue when WR Diontae Johnson dropped a pass going over the middle. On the field it was ruled a catch-and-fumble but upon review (as all turnovers are) they got it right.
Cleveland’s first two drives were each hampered by holding penalties and both ended in punts. The Browns’ tackles appeared completely overmatched by the Steelers’ EDGE rushers; it was only a matter of time until those dams splintered.
OLB TJ Watt was the first one through, sandwiching Watson with DE Cam Heyward on the Browns’ third drive as the first quarter expired. Heyward tracked down Karim Hunt (another guy with a shady history of violence against women) for a loss on third down to force a third punt.
Cleveland was able to punch it into the end zone on their fourth drive, with the help of a holding penalty from MLB Rob Spillane negating what would have been a 3rd down stop.
The word of the day for the Steelers was “effort.” QB Kenny Pickett eluded the first rusher, got off a shovel pass as he got crunched, then HB Jaylen Warren made his first guy miss and split the next two to get within an index card’s breadth from the lead stick:
Three plays later Kenny threw a dart over the middle to WR George Pickens:
Moments later, this happened:
I foresaw these events just a few days ago:
Pickens had another sensational back-shoulder catch, and most of Steelers Nation thinks he had a second one moments later. It appeared Pickens’ left foot was dragging grass in bounds, but his right foot may or may not have been levitating as George gained control of the ball. Because we can’t reasonably rule out a human levitating, the call stood. Pittsburgh settled for a FG to take the lead, 10-7 PIT.
TJ tracked down a Watson scramble on 1st down and Cam Heyward nearly recorded another INT batting down a pass on 2nd, but a 3rd down conversion gave Cleveland the ball just shy of midfield with :07 in the first half. Watson fumbled the snap and busted out a couple pirouettes before ultimately being dogpiled after a two-yard gain.
The Steelers opened the second half with some Matt Canada football. They ran a split zone with jet motion…wait a second, that’s a counter run, there’s a lead blocker, and WOO BUDDY HE’S GOT A LANE!
Kenny marched his boys into the red zone, but Myles Garrett’s first sack of the day brought an end to the 12-play drive. K Chris Boswell back out for his second FG attempt…and make. 13-7 PIT
Every ounce of momentum was flowing Pittsburgh’s way. TJ collapsed the RT into Watson’s throwing arm to force an incompletion on 1st down. 2nd down was a Chubb stretch run snuffed out by TJ and DT Larry Ogunjobi before it could get east-west, let alone north. On 3rd down Watson stutter stepped over TJ’s diving arms and escaped for a 21-yard scamper. 1st down was an unsuccessful Chubb run. 2nd down was a SACK by Terrell Edmunds. Watson stared down his target on 3rd down and FS Damontae Kazee made him pay with the second Steelers’ INT of the contest.
(Meanwhile, Buffalo returned their second KO of the day for a TD to retake a 20-17 lead over the Patriots. Still waiting on the Jets to bring it together.)
Najee ran three times for 18 yards, then on 3rd&3 Jaylen Warren relieved him and leaked out to catch a pass to give the Steelers a 1st&Goal opportunity. A 1st down RPO intended for an open Johnson was batted down by Garrett over the middle. They went back to Najee on 2nd; he found a crease for half the distance but had to do the rest himself…and he could not be denied. Pittsburgh’s second TD of the game gave them a 20-7 stranglehold over proceedings.
A missed facemask penalty preserved a 2nd down sack for Larry Ogunjobi, and TJ recorded the team’s fourth sack of the afternoon to slam the door shut on 3rd down.
There was a scary moment when Warren couldn’t secure a 1st down toss but G Kevin Dotson jumped on the loose ball. A two-yard Najee run later and Pittsburgh took their 20-7 lead into the 4th quarter, but a 3rd down drop left them in a must-punt situation.
Chubb started off the next drive running through Heyward and into the safeties, but Cam sandwiched the avowed sex criminal with Highsmith for a one-yard profit on the next snap. Cam recorded what should have been the Steelers’ fifth sack of the game but it was negated by personal foul. Two plays later Cleveland cashed in that gift with a TD pass to Chubb, to bring the drive full circle.
When Pittsburgh had the ball, the flags mysteriously seemed to be pocketed. Backed up against the wall Kenny found Connor Heyward on another deep middle hookup, where the rookie TE has been living this year:
Later that drive, on a 3rd&8, Heyward did it again with a 9-yard catch on a slant, bringing up 1st&Goal. 3rd&G was a slant looking for Pickens that created a DPI and gave Pittsburgh four more cracks at it. The next snap Heyward motioned left across the formation; as Cleveland’s defense rolled left to adjust they went back the other way with the Matt Canada sweep to Derek Watt. For good measure they converted an end zone fade to Diontae for a two-point conversion. 28-14 PIT
With no time left to run the ball and Cleveland’s offense growing ever more predictable, TJ, Alex and Cam all triangulated to collapse on Watson at the same moment for Pittsburgh’s fifth sack. There were still whimpers of life with the Browns converting a 4th&6 just before the two-minute warning. Pittsburgh’s sixth sack of the day was of the strip sack variety, but Cleveland recovered. Alex Highsmith recorded their seventh sack, and Heyward had the eighth to slam the door shut on the game.
(I counted 8 sacks, ESPN only has then down for 7…)
FINAL SCORE: 28-14 PIT
Pittsburgh handled their business today, and so did Buffalo. Joe Flacco: you had one job to do.
CamBlackburnWrites 