Week 6 Blog: All the news and notes

Oct 16, 2020 at 05:30 PM

Teresa Varley

Steelers.com

Friday, October 16

It's the next game: Joe Haden has experienced what it's like to be on both sides of a Steelers-Browns matchup. He played for the Browns for seven seasons, from 2010-16, and during the time the Steelers record against the Browns was 12-2. Since coming to the Steelers in 2017, the black and gold have a 4-1-1 edge.

Haden has seen every aspect of this AFC North battle, speaking on it like not many can.

"Being with Cleveland for seven years, every time we played against Pittsburgh that was the biggest game of the year, every year I was there," said Haden. "Just being here now, just every game is the next game. When we start playing AFC North football, Coach (Mike) Tomlin always emphasizes just how that's important, you have to rule your division to get to the playoffs. With the Browns being so good now, and the Ravens also, and this division being so good.

"The Browns, being the team that I came from, playing good against the team I used to play for is a big thing for me.

"I am just really excited about our team. We are 4-0. I have never been 4-0 before. It's the next game, it's an AFC game, it's our first division game and we are trying to win. To have a good division record is the biggest thing to get to the playoffs.

"There is a lot going on, but I think it's going to be a real intense game. Two good football teams."

Haden knows this might be one of the most intense games between the two teams based on the records, the Steelers sitting at 4-0 while the Browns are 4-1. He expects nothing less than a 60-minute battle on both sides.

"I think it's a very important game. I think we both have similar goals," said Haden. "I have been away for four years, but they are working hard, they play as team, they have the No. 1 rushing attack (in the NFL).

"The same way with us. We are 4-0. We have Big Ben (Roethlisberger). We have the defense we have. I just really feel like we have a very good team and we have played nowhere near to the level that we are capable of on defense. I just think it's going to be a really good matchup.

"Like Coach T said, it's a five-star matchup. I think it's going to be a really good challenge."

He said it:

T.J. Watt on what he is seeing different in Baker Mayfield:

"His confidence. He is throwing the ball well. He has been able to escape the pocket and be able to use his speed and throw on the run better than I have seen him in the past. It will be a challenge for us."

He said it:

James Conner on Sunday game:

"Must win game. AFC North football."

Not looking back: The Eagles' 10-for-14 performance on third downs last Sunday has been a much-discussed topic among Steelers leading into this Sunday's meeting with Cleveland.

Defensive coordinator Keith Butler cited defensive coaching as a contributing factor.

"We've got to do a better job of coaching," Butler maintained this week. "We blitzed a little bit but not a lot. If we did a little bit better job of coaching in terms of disguise (of coverages and blitzes) and stuff like that I think we'd have helped our guys out a little bit.

"We've got to make sure we do a little bit better disguising."

Inside linebacker Vince Williams wasn't buying that this morning and won't moving forward.

"No, never," Williams said. "I trust my coaches. I believe in them. They work just as hard as us. It's tandem, it goes hand in hand. No matter what call is called, we have to go out there and we have to make that call work. When they give us that call, they have confidence in it and we have to be able to uplift that confidence by performing it.

"I never really look for coaches to save players and I never really think that any call can't work."

Williams was on board with the Steelers' emphasis in advance of the Browns game being on what will happen this time, as opposed to what happened between Browns defensive end Myles
Garrett and Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph last season in Cleveland.

"We're completely past it," Williams insisted. "What happened in 2019 was 2019. We have enough problems to deal with this year.

"We're not really looking back. We're not looking in the rearview mirror and worrying about what happened last year."

Williams also had this to say when asked if the strength at the top of the AFC North Division enhanced this Sunday's matchup: "To be honest with you, from my perspective, I don't really think we pay attention to it. We just know that we have to go out there and whack the next opponent over the head."

- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta

1 vs. 1: It's one of those games where something has to give.

The Steelers head into Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field the No. 1 rush defense in the AFC, and No. 2 overall in the conference, while the Browns are the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL.

It's going to be a battle, but one linebacker Devin Bush is looking forward to.

"That is going to be the biggest test, one against one," said Bush. "That is a big matchup. That is a matchup we are all waiting for."

Kareem Hunt leads the charge for the Browns with 70 carries for 347 yards and three touchdowns, but they have lost one of their weapons as Nick Chubb, who has 57 carries for 335 yards and four touchdowns, is on the reserve/injured list.

Regardless, the Steelers are preparing for a serious ground attack.

"We have been working all this week being tight as a unit," said Bush. "They have a good running game. They have good players on the offensive side of the ball. We have been working on our disciplines and playing our defenses at the right time, executing at the right time and doing what we can to eliminate those big runs.

"That's the biggest thing, being able to combat that run and being able to play those three hard downs and not let them allow their run game the whole game. You want to focus on their run game. Their run game is really, really big."

Bush knows it will be an intense battle, the Steelers coming in 4-0, while the Browns are 4-1 after winning four straight games.

"It's definitely one we get up for, the organization gets up for as well as fans," said Bush. "It's big conference play, we see each other twice a year, and every time it's for the win."

'It's a rivalry that runs deep. We get up for as well as the fans.' - @_Dbush11 on Steelers-Browns rivalry
— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) October 15, 2020

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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Anthony Coyle (68) and Pittsburgh Steelers center J.C. Hassenauer (60) practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex preparing for a Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)