Tim Benz: ‘Feats of Strength’ abound as Steelers blow out Browns
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The Pittsburgh Steelers blew out the Cleveland Browns, 38-7, on Sunday at Heinz Field.
They improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1978.
Helmet-swinging villain Myles Garrett was a minimal factor. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield got benched. The defense bounced back after some shaky moments against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. The offense capitalized on every opportunity. The Browns were humbled and knocked down a level in the AFC North.
And Mason Rudolph got to kneel out the clock. I mean, could the day have gone any better?
Nope! Well, until you look at the injury report. Or the stat line for Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, whom the Steelers play next week.
Aside from that, as you can imagine, our Steelers “Feats of Strength” run a lot deeper than “Airing of Grievances” after that performance this week.
“This one is for Myles!”: That’s what Browns running back Kareem Hunt said before the game. You know, somehow trying to make Garrett into the aggrieved party as a result of his helmet swing at Rudolph’s head last year.
Well, if that effort from Cleveland was for Garrett, it must not have been the motivating factor Hunt was suggesting. Because they laid an egg about the worst way possible.
Garrett did have a sack. But aside from that, his impact was as forgettable as Rudolph’s, who spent most of the day on the bench.
Garrett, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, wound up with just two other solo tackles aside from his sack. Credit offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner for the gameplan, Ben Roethlisberger for getting rid of the ball quickly and Chuks Okorafor and Alejandro Villanueva for their work at tackle. The other linemen, tight ends and tackles also chipped in.
“It was way calmer than everybody expected,” guard Kevin Dotson said. “It wasn’t like we were out there brawling, fighting, thinking about last year.”
The contest ended with Rudolph on the field mopping up while Garrett was on the bench for garbage time.
Beautiful.
Splish, splash!: The Steelers defense continues to make splash plays on a weekly basis.
They racked up four more sacks and two more turnovers Sunday. The biggest was Minkah Fitzpatrick’s interception return for a touchdown on the Browns’ first drive.
THINGS. YOU. LOVE. TO. SEE@minkfitz_21 | CBS https://t.co/tI5aUTu7te pic.twitter.com/Su6dvq5Jn2
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 18, 2020
After being a part of eight turnovers in his first nine games with the Steelers last year, that was Fitzpatrick’s first turnover of 2020. He went the last five games of last season without creating a turnover, as well.
According to the NFL communications department, this Steelers defense joined the 1985 New York Giants as the only teams in NFL history with at least three sacks and an interception in each of their first five games of a season.
The Steelers have 24 sacks and nine takeaways.
Flip the script: It was Cleveland that came into the contest with a league-leading rushing total of 188.4 yards per game.
But the Steelers ground game got yards and chewed up clock. James Conner had 101 yards — his third game over 100 yards on the year — as the team netted 129 yards rushing.
And Conner still is uninjured. Knock on wood. Lots of it.
Meanwhile, the Steelers only allowed 75 yards on the ground. Keith Butler’s unit entered the week as the NFL’s second-best rush defense at 64 yards allowed per game.
But it’ll be tested again next week when the Steelers square off against Henry. He gobbled up 212 yards rushing for the Titans in Sunday’s 42-36 overtime win against the Houston Texans, including a 94-yard touchdown romp.
DERRICK HENRY 94-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN! @KingHenry_2
: #HOUvsTEN on CBS
: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/Qh00dKLKr7 pic.twitter.com/Vverod2lYc— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2020
Third and done: After allowing the Philadelphia Eagles 10 consecutive third-down conversions at one point last week, the Steelers stopped Cleveland on 11 of 12 third-down tries.
“We just changed up some schematics and decided to play tight,” Fitzpatrick said. “Some more man to man. Make (Mayfield) throw out of the pocket. This week, we practiced (a lot of) third-and-medium, third-and-longs.”
Cleveland also went 0-for-3 on fourth-down tries.
Priceless: If ever there was a sequence that summed up the Browns, it was the end of their second possession of the second half.
Down 24-7 with 5 minutes, 55 seconds left in the third quarter, Mayfield and Jarvis Landry can’t connect on a pass. It is ruled incomplete.
However, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski wins a challenge, and the call is overturned. But it’s deemed Landry still came up short of the first-down marker. So the Browns go for it on their own 29, and Hunt gets stuffed.
The Steelers ended up cashing in the turnover on downs with a Chase Claypool rushing touchdown.
.@ChaseClaypool's second rushing touchdown of the season!
CBS https://t.co/tI5aUTu7te pic.twitter.com/pQmsIYuLxN
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 18, 2020
It was so typically … Cleveland.
Airing of grievances
Down goes Devin: Devin Bush left the game during a Cleveland scoring drive in the second quarter.
It was described as a “significant” knee injury, according to coach Mike Tomlin. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting it is an ACL injury, and Bush will need season-ending surgery.
The inside linebacker was racing across the field to break up a pass play intended for Hunt. He seemed to distract Hunt, and the play went incomplete. But Bush took a bad step along the way and crumpled along the Browns sideline.
Robert Spillane filled in at inside linebacker and totaled five solo tackles, including a thumping hit of Austin Hooper for a 6-yard loss at the end of the third quarter. Ulysses Gilbert III was inactive but might suit up next week. And Vince Williams might have to log some more pass plays. Or the Steelers might have to add to the roster. They are thin at that position.
Bush had five tackles before he left the game.
“Devin is a great player, high-effort player,” fellow linebacker Bud Dupree said. “One of the fastest guys on the team. Any time you lose a player like that, it’s a blow. Robert came in and did a good job. Prayers up to Devin.”
Mike Hilton also left with a shoulder injury. And Maurkice Pouncey didn’t finish the game at center, yielding to J.C. Hassenauer for a second straight game.
Pouncey came into this game with a foot injury that lingered from the previous contest against Philadelphia.
First drive fatigue: If the Steelers aren’t going to score a touchdown on that first drive, they might never do it.
It has been 24 games since the Steelers got a touchdown on their first drive of a game.
On a day when the team scored 38 points and had the ball for almost 35 minutes, the Steelers’ longest drive of the game was the first drive. But it still stalled at Cleveland’s 17-yard line, resulting in a Chris Boswell field goal after 58 yards and 11 plays.
I’m convinced it’s mental at this point.
No juice for JuJu: Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is having trouble finding his game. He had only two catches for 6 yards and four targets.
Claypool and James Washington were the main targets for Roethlisberger, combining for eight catches and 142 yards and Washington’s touchdown.
Smith-Schuster hasn’t topped 50 yards receiving since he had 69 in the season-opening win against the New York Giants.
Sad seats: Because of coronavirus restrictions, there were only 5,260 fans in attendance allowed to watch the game.
The setting, the buildup, the result and the whole day deserved better than that.
There should be more people allowed in the stadium. It can handle more capacity with masks and safe social distancing. And it’s a shame this is our existence.
On levels besides just football.