Steelers admit they weren’t ready for what the Browns defense threw at them
In Week 11, the Cleveland Browns caught the Pittsburgh Steelers off guard in a major way and it helped them squeeze out a 13-10 win. Coming into the game, the Browns were playing a ton of man coverage under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. They trust their cornerbacks on an island and believe their front will […]
In Week 11, the Cleveland Browns caught the Pittsburgh Steelers off guard in a major way and it helped them squeeze out a 13-10 win.
Coming into the game, the Browns were playing a ton of man coverage under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. They trust their cornerbacks on an island and believe their front will get home. That was not the case and the Steelers game planned for just that.
“The plan was they play a lot of man-to-man (coverage),” QB Kenny Pickett said after the game. “They didn’t play a lot of man-to-man today. They threw a lot of zone looks at us, different zone looks. We expected them to come in and play man. We’ve got to adjust better.”
How good was the Browns defense?
Cleveland gave up 249 total yards and 74 of them came on a run by Jaylen Warren. For the most part, Cleveland’s defense was once again lockdown. For all 10 games this season, the Steelers’ offense has been outgained by the opposition and that continued.
Pickett threw for just 106 yards on 28 attempts with 15 completions. He was sacked three times and no one on the Steelers defense was a threat outside of Warren, who finished with 145 of their yards.
Cleveland held Diontae Johnson to just two catches resulting in 16 yards. George Pickens led the Steelers in receiving with 38 yards.
Cleveland has a championship-level defense and that will remain true even if their offense never gets going again this season. They have a defense that should get them into the playoffs and already have a 7-3 record to show for it.
The job that Schwartz has done with his unit deserves an award. Cleveland overhauled the defensive line outside of Myles Garrett and that’s been a big help too.
Browns biggest winners from 13-10 defensive win over Steelers
A few players stood out for the Browns in Week 11.
