December 3, 2024 • 25 mins
Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman break down the Steelers upcoming meeting with the Cleveland Browns.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the Advanced Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Steelers us an offensive explosion in Cincinnati to get the
forty four to thirty eight victory and improved to nine
and three. Now they welcome the Cleveland Browns to town,
who they just saw a couple of weeks ago and
lost to a couple of weeks ago, Matt, before we
(00:23):
get to the Cleveland games. Refreshing to see the Steelers
win a shootout game like that.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah, I thought that game showed if you want to
play it close to the vest first one to.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Thirteen, we can do that against Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Yeah, if you need to throw it all over the yard,
we could do that. I mean that was my initial thoughts.
I do a podcast like right after the game ends
and basically said the last five years of Steelers teams
would not have won that game. No, it would have
been over early, right, I mean as soon as you
threw to pick six, have been like it used to
be crippling.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
If the Steelers would have made a mistake like that
on their very first drive.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yep, I said this overcome things.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I said the when I was on with Mark on Monday,
Mark Madden seven nothing, Bengals lead tied, fourteen seven Bengals lead,
tiede and twenty one to fourteen Bengals lead tied again,
and then you finally took the lead and took control
of the people on It would have been over so
many different times for the past three years for the
Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout that game, maybe they would have punched
(01:20):
back once, but punching back three times was never a thing.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I mean, it's always a grinded out. If you could
get to twenty in a game like that, you were
thrilled or certainly can't lose a turnover battle, et cetera.
So no, they're they're a good spot. I mean, that
was a big win. Now. I do think that Bengals
defense was really terrible, really terrible, like worse than I
thought when we did this show a week ago.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
But like, how do they don't know Justin Fields is
going to take the ball?
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Like that was?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
That was the worst thing I've seen, Like, what are
you doing in a lundry? You think, yeah too, you
know that everybody knew he was taking the.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Ball, yes, absolutely, and missing tackles left and right. I mean,
pretty soft.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It was like two hundred and forty, two hundred and
fifty yards after the catch us that the Steelers had.
I it's insane amount. Yeah, it's a terrible defense. And
you know, one last thought on the Bengals before we
turn the page to the Browns, and of course we'll
see the Bengals in week eighteen at Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
How much are they can't care about that? They're not.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, I think you put them to bed with that game,
so you're probably going to get a backup quarterback in
the next one.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
And this is a much bigger conversation, but the overall
state of the Ohio teams isn't real good right now.
Are pointing down on both of them.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I will say this, despite having Burrow. That's what I
was just gonna say. Cincinnati kind of might have that
get out of jail free card.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
They do, they do.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
They're one of the more head scratching teams I can
remember watching. You've been doing this a lot more than
me and with higher stakes than I ever have. They
got to be a head scratcher for you as well.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I mean, they have some bonker stats about they've scored
thirty three or more. God still lose a bunch. They
score thirty five or more and still lose a bunch
for the Lass. Rest of the league wins all of them.
But I don't know that that defense is getting fixed
in a year.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Higgins won't be back, and you know they got issues.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
They certainly do. This is that's the portion of the
podcast where we now give you a little serious history
between the Steelers and the Browns. We just did that though,
like two weeks ago. If you need any refreshing course,
a refresher course on the Steelers Brown's history.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
One big difference though not short week on the road
in the snow. We're recording this on Tuesday. Those guys
probably got home at like seven am from Denver last night,
and it's going to be them. That's test from a physicality,
you know, rest standpoint and all that.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Playing at Mile high right very taxing too, of course,
a tough place for the Browns toaff to play. Well,
that's kind of where I was going with this. I
don't think that's going to be your answer. The snow
and the short rest, but instead of the serious history,
like what's your thought A couple thoughts on the biggest
things that went against the Steelers in that first meeting
against the Browns.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
In a way, everything that could go well. When we
previewed this game or that game, the two things that
scared me most were Winston is the super hot version,
you know, Yes, and I thought he played extremely well
in that game. Now that sounds a little odd after
watching the Monday night or since, because he was even
(04:04):
crazier good and bad, you know, I mean, just Offston experience.
It really was. It was entertaining, but it would make
you crazy if you're a Browns fan. But I thought
you got Winston's best game in Week one and or
the matchup.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yeah, he was the tame Jamis Winston in that game.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, and maybe the snow forced him to do that somewhat.
But then he threw you on late that I thought Steelers,
you know, was enough to win.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Got him with a fumble late too. You're getting a
turnover against Jamis. Yeah, it's a given almost when you
play him, it's just how many.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And they also got the best version of Ales Garrett,
you know, which I'm sure he didn't do a whole lot.
Their defense in general was pretty bad too. Yeah, true,
So there was a couple of things that I worried
most about that all came to fruition in that game.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
This is a great stat that you makes Steelers fans
feel warm and good inside. Since hiring Mike Tomlin in
two thousand and seven, the Steelers have the NFL's best
record in divisional games from weeks twelve through the end
of the regular season. He's thirty nine and thirteen in
such games. That's the seventy five percent winning percentage. You
got three more of those games coming up on the schedule. Yeah,
if you win just two out of those three, you
(05:08):
might have the AFC North. You win all three, you
lock it up and yeah, oh.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, yeah, no question about that. I don't think that's
an accident either. I mean, I think that they understand
their opponents extremely well. I mean the year I was
with the Browns as many years ago, it was Ben's
rookie year, but we started every draft meeting we were
like the worst team in the league. I mean, we
started every draft meeting. How do we beat the Steelers?
You know? I mean they and they've pretty much been
the most dominant team in the division since. And Tomlin
(05:34):
excels in those divisional games I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Let you choose the adventure here, Matt, what side of
the ball you think is more of a threat now,
because in the first Advanced Scout podcast against the Browns
you just defaulted into the defense. I'm actually a little
worried about the Jamis Winston offense now in this game.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
You mean, which Browns unit to use?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
A year worry for you in this game? The second
meeting offense, I think so too.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So they have no running game though, but throw.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
The ball a ton, which is in effect.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Kind of exactly, and the receivers aren't bad, including the Djoku,
and they're definitely not bad. Judy's hot as could be. Yeah,
just because Winston's such a wildcards, such.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
A wildcard, so let's start with that wildcard in that
offensive side of the ball for Cleveland, Uh, they generate
eighteen point two points per game. That's coming up slowly
each week because since Winston has been quarterback, the Browns
are producing twenty one point eight points per game. So
that's about a field goal difference since Jameis Winston's been inserted.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Let me let me stop you super quick, because when
we did this two weeks ago, I had a lot
of stats of when Winston took over X happened. But
I didn't have enough this week much almost like exactly
like the Steelers. There's a line of demarcation with these
offenses when Winston, when Wilson took over that I was
trying to stress a little more because if you look
(06:46):
at like the season long stuff for the Browns offense,
it's horrendous. I mean, the Watson era was horrendous.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Troy Aikman was talking about that on the Monday night
football broadcast. He was kind of harping on just they
show the graphic of the splits of Yeah. He just
is like, you have to wonder where they'd be if
they would have just started Winston or if they would
have put him in week two, week three?
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Could they be the seventh seed right now? Or I
don't think that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
And he said that he thinks the defense taking a
step back this year is just because they were so
bad at offense. I think just threw their hands up
in the air, like, what the hell are we supposed
to do on this side of the ball.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Would they traded Zadarias Smith and you know guys like
that Marty Cooper, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Cleveland throws the ball sixty five point five percent of
the time. Only the Raiders throw the ball at higher clip.
It's odd that those are the two teams that throw
the ball the most.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
I thinks are losing a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
That's the real good just chasing. Yeah, only the Eagles
throw the ball to lower clipt in Pittsburgh just a
little fiiire. Pittsburgh's throwing the ball at forty eight point
eight percent of the time, But that's sixty five point
five percent mark for Cleveland. I mean, I feel like
that's even going on.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I think it's going off like you watched last night.
I mean, Fords are leading rusher with forty one yards.
You know, child averages three yards per carry. It's just
a much differently constructed offense than when Chubb was in
his prime.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
They have a streak of twenty straight games without having
a running back. Every one hundred yard rushing output.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
That yeah, then Virgilion one higher.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
It's really bizarre.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I mean really bizarre.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
It's not this time last year because he was hurt already.
But let's go back two years. This time, Cleveland was
every week, yeah, rusher rusher, that was their bread and butter.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
And you think about their guards and their own line,
and you know the run scheme, and it's not what
it used to be.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Winston's averages since becoming the Browns starting quarterback. He averages
forty three point six pass attempts a game, twenty seven
of those he completes on average, and he's averaging three
hundred and thirty six yards as the Browns starting quarterback.
He had low watermarks though, in all three of those
categories against the Steelers snow and you also said, you know,
(08:41):
it's not a bad thing that maybe those numbers came
down with Jamis Winston. You get a tamed version of
Jameis Winston still be very effective.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
And I also thought that was the Steelers probably worst
pass rush performance of the of the season, and maybe
a short week on the road had something to do
with it and just didn't have as much juice in
their legs. But I think the pass rushing d line
is back in a big way.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
He said, a Browns record last night. We're doing this
on Tuesday and Monday Night football. Four hundred and ninety
seven passing yards in Denver. This is a great stat
four hundred ninety seven passing yards that he threw plus
the return yard a jot inception that he totaled, which
was one hundred and seventy one. He threw three picks
in that game, two of them taking to the house.
You add all that up, six hundred and sixty eight
(09:23):
yards was accounted for on a football field thanks to Jamis.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
When he throws the football.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yes, as the most of its kind NFL.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
It's never happened.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Run down the field almost seven times, that.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Almost threw a third one.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Matt I thought for sure it was gonna happen. And
you know what, I hate the Browns, but I really
felt for him at that moment. I was like, please,
someone catch him. There's no right they're gonna take us
all the way back to the house. In Judy, who
played a great game, ended up catching him and saving
him of three pick sixes. You mentioned, some of them
be like one hundred yards more. Some of that jump
for Winston or for the Browns offense. When Winston got
(09:56):
in five point two yards per pass attempt with Watson
seven point seven now with Jameis went.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, I mean that tells all the difference, right, And that's.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Been the thing that I think people were so frustrated
with the Browns. Browns fans specifically in the early portions
of the years, they weren't pushing the ball down the
field at all. No, not even a little bit.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Cooper, Judy Tillman, you know the Joku Elijah Moore like,
throw the wall down the field.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What do you think about Judy's performance on Monday night?
It was unbelievable. Over two hundred yards.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yeah, I thought it was the most.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yardage of any player in a revenge game against this
former team I know.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
And he's been really good since Winston's been there. I
mean these last five games or whatever, he's been really good.
I'm not taking anything away from him, nor am I
picking on a former Steeler, But I think a lot
of it had to do with Levi Wallace because there
were some advanced stats that came out today that when
Certaine was on Judy he basically got nothing. He ran
like twenty routes and caught like one ball. But when
(10:54):
he was against all the other corners who were super
banged up in replacement level, he tore him apart.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
That's why I think had a very appropriate sweet last
night during that game, Like this is an example of
what the importance was to getting Dante Jackson and shoring
up that second corner.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
The guy who was there fried right, right, he shot.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
By guy who's coming to town next week. So you think
Porter just takes him on though, Judy.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Did you like the strategy of putting Porter on Higgins
instead of I did.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I thought that was interesting. It was very BELICHICKI in.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Right, double the best player and cut off the head
of the second best.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Now, the penalties were a problem, obviously, but he also
didn't play as bad in coverage as.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
You know he did it. And that's a second receiver
that's bigger, more routes that gave Porter problems. Remind me
of Terry McLaurin in the Washington game. Yeah, Porter problems
because he's bigger. It's tougher to knock those guys off their.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Routes percent So I thought he matched up better in
that regard. Judy's a little more oily, hips fluid, not
as physical. I don't know. You might just left right it.
If Tillman plays, he's more the physical guy, and I
think you could just leave those guys okay, yeah, and
then put some attention speed can run with them.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
He can handle Judy on a flyer out.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, it's not gonna be like Wallas.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, he's not gonna be out raced, right.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
So I have to get a more thought. I think
it's a good conversation.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
But you know what, they're in a good spot where
you can do either. You can double Judy, you can
have Dante takem you can have yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Yeah, like you'll just figure it out down to down.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Now, Joker is the one that scares me the most.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
It's seventeen targets.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Last Winston loves him. He throws the ball to him
a ton. Nine catches. Of those seventeen targets, he had
fifty two yards and he had the two touchdowns in
the game against them, big red zone target.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Really good after catch, super talented. Yeah, there's some inconsistencies.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Came on a little late in his career. But I
think we've talked about him a lot obviously on this
podcast the past couple of years with play him twice.
Always that guy that you look at this just like
he's a perfect specimen for the He's so much better
than he is, and I think he's starting to get
better than he is now. There's just so many great
tight ends around the league. It's tough to become a
star when it's a crowded field already and you're in Cleveland.
(13:05):
But kid or in that tier.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Below, I think I think so too. I think he's
really great with the.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Firemoth something like that. Yeah, a little bit better than
a firemouth.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
On better receiver, better after the catch, better athlete. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
So, and Joku worries me, what do you do to
handle him?
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Well, you're gonna get a ton of eleven personnel, You're
That's how teams attack the Steelers anyway, So expect a
lot of nickel, maybe even more dime, just because their
running game is so bad they don't even trying to
run the ball, right, Yeah, I mean, so if if
Trice is healthy, does he get a little bit more action?
Is your sixth defensive back? I don't know they have
(13:42):
answers for tight ends though. All in all, the middle
of field is pretty strong in coverage.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Cleveland average is just eighty seven point three rushing yards
per game in three point eight yards per Carrie. That's
only ahead of Las Vegas and Dallas, and only the
Cowboys have fewer runs of ten plus more yards than
the Browns twenty three of that kind. Steelers have given
up just twenty nine such carries. That's the fourth best
in the NFL, and the Steelers only surrendered ninety point
five rushing yards per game, also the fourth best in
(14:08):
the NFL. One thing I thought was a huge problem
the last time these two teams met, no pressure on
Jamis Wentz.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Now he had that time in the pocket, and I
can excuse the second half away when there was a
million feet no. Yeah, but no, you need to dominate.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
And I bet it's at home this week.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
I mean, and I know that Cam Hayward and Watt
were ashamed of their performance against the Browns the first
time round. I'd be shocked if it's the same.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Only one sack for the Steelers against the Browns. Browns
quarterbacks still have been sacked fifty times this season. That's
the most in the league, and only the Bears and
Titans have a worse sack rate allowed at nine point
six per cent. And the Broncos were all over wins. Yeah,
I mean, Benito was in his grill all game long.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
That's the thing player, by the way.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
But he's a beast.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yeah, he's really good.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
He had one of the pick sixes.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Yeah, yeah, me dropped on the coverage. I'd be shocked
if the Steelers pass rush is not much better than
it was Thursday night.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
It certainly is going to have to be. I think, honestly,
there's different Obviously, levers you got to pull to get
a win in a National Football League game. But if
you pull that lever, it goes a long way. If
you just get Winston on the ground like four or
five times.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
With a sad you might get high Smith back.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I mean, you got quite sounds like Tomlin was confident
today in his pressure on Tony.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Adams back in the mix as well, like you're really
deep and athletic upfront.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Let's take a look at the Cleveland Browns defense. I mean,
the one guy that wrecked the game last time these
two met two weeks ago was Miles Garrett. He had
three sacks all in the first half of that game.
Uh stripsack as well. That really changed momentum for them.
They also had nine quarterback hits as a team, and
that in a bad way.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Yes, I mean, I'm not sure if we even talk
about it enough, but the Steelers do allow too much
pressure overall, Like the pressure rate allowed isn't great offensively.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
And you know what, they're lucky that Russell Wilson is
very clearly he always has been this kind of guy,
but he's very clearly still the kind of guy that
does not care about getting sacked. Oh no, right, tough
enough that it's yeah, some of those guys, even a Brady,
the sack of them enough a little bit ratt it's
a little uncomfortable.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Now see us at all. I don't either, And I
know that if you look in the box score. Wilson
was sacked twice against the Bengals. One of them he
easily could have thrown away, and he took the sack
to keep the clock running. I one hundred percent believe that.
And the earlier one he was starting to run. And
I don't know why the scorekeeper called that a sack.
It was it should have been a rushing attempt. So
(16:31):
they did a lot better job protecting. Now. I know
Bengals offense defense isn't good, but they have Henderson. You know,
I Garrett's better.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
They had the sack leader.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, I mean, Garrett's better. And I'm sure the whole
Garrett Watt thing is on his mind. I mean Garrett's
going to give you everything he got against Steelers, even
if the Browns.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
These are Super Bowls.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Yeah, I would imagine. Yeah, I mean, he might shut
down at the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
But you mentioned that pressure rate. The Browns defense is
fourth and pressure rate, while the Steelers offense is twenty fifth.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
One of the true advantages Cleveland does have is they
get they don't get other than Garrett, nobody gets sacked.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
It's weird.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
It is weird. But the la Darius Smith is gone,
he's their second sack guy, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Focusing on the Steelers side of that though, twenty fifth
and pressure rate allowed, that's not gonna cut it. It's
gonna be bad in the playoffs too, right.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Right right. That needs to get burned up.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
No question about it. Do you think that's just a
offensive line's got to play better?
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Thing? Mostly rastly, I mean they've thought the tacks played
well last week. Yeah, I did to absolutely. I didn't
think Siamalu had a great game, but I thought the
rest of the line was quite good. A little worrisome,
but they have good chippers, and their running backs are
good in protection fields, and Wilson will hold the ball,
you know, Some of these are quarterback related to.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
The Browns defense allows a set of downs to turn
into a new set of downs or a touchdown at
a sixty eight percent rate. Only the Eagles, Vikings, and
Texans are better. There's metrics that tell you that the
Browns defense is still very good.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, and it's great last year.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
And if the offense was, like Aikman kind of said
on Monday Night Football, if the offense wasn't so inept
in the first four or five weeks of the season,
their numbers as a whole would be even better as well.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Yeah, And like wo su Core more is not is
on IR now too, and like they traded Darius Smith Smith,
but they still have a lot going on on defense.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
The Steelers are averaging almost one yard per play more
since Russell Wilson has taken over at quarterbacks four point
eight yards per play in weeks one through six, and
to Russell Wilson, they're now at five point seven yards
per play and they are it's amazing. And they're creating
explosive plays at a twelve point two percent clip with
Wilson compared to nine percent before he wasn't serted as
a starter. You might say, oh, the three point two
(18:31):
percent more, that's massive in the amount of sample size
that you have of plays run and plays, So to
jump from nine to twelve point two is incredible in
just six weeks time.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
It doesn't sound like a lot. If you run sixty
plays a game over the course of a month and
a year, it adds a lot.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Build up to that. Yeah, Russ jumps in and he
has a three percent increase. Cleveland gives up six point
eight yards per pass attempt. That is only better than
the Jaguars. So it looks like you should be able
to throw on this team.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
That parts really bad for them, but their completion percentage
allowed is really good, so it's hard to complete passes
on them.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
It's a bizarre defense.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
But they allows too many explosives.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I guess Wilson through two hundred and seventy yards or
for two hundred and seventy yards in these this these
two teams first meeting in the snow in Cleveland, and
I think it's important to remember that Russell Wilson gave
the Steelers a lead in that game, brought the back.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Yeah, Fields had.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Something to do with it as well. He had a
big thirty yard run, but Wilson got the touchdown past
the Calvin Austin a beautiful ball. Nineteen to eighteen lead
for the Steelers just weren't able to hold on too.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
It weren't hold onto that play and Winston through the
pick in that game, I'm like, the Steelers are going
to stake this one out, right. I mean, I don't
know that. I didn't think they were the better team
that night, but I'm like, man, they're gonna get out
of here with a win. And it's not how went.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
The Browns allowed two one hundred yard receivers last week
against the Denver broadcasts.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Not easy to do. I don't think the Steelers will
get the two, but I could see Pickens being one.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I could see Pickens being one. I'll give you a
sneaky one too, go Firemouth.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
I hope he's getting more.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Is that just a Bengals thing? Or can we finally
break out?
Speaker 1 (20:03):
That's what I say. I mean his two best games recently, every.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Game of his career. Career high is probably the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
But he noticed the last two weeks or so, Mooth
is getting more and more involved with Wilson. I think
they're getting more of a camut.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
He led the team and targets against the Bengals Mooth
did and.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Which is overdue. I think he needs to be a
bigger part of the offense period.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
You can see Russell Wilson likes to use tight ends
because he's gravitated towards Mount Washington since becoming the starter.
But I think you're right. I think, you know, as
you get more of a chemistry with an actual receiving
tight end, like Pat Firemouth starts to really, I'm gonna
throw to eighty eight instead of big Mount Washington more
often than not.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
And I think the teaching point there is, yes, he
was in camp, and yes he played the preseason, and
he was on the sidelines for the first couple of games,
first couple of games, but he's really only been in
six real games, five or six Wilson six games. Yet,
it's not much with new teammates, a new offense. You know,
he's still getting to know these guys.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
It's amazing that he's good as he is, Yeah, right, right,
It's amazing that he threw the ball to ten different
people in that game.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, that's kind of my point. Is he starting to
understand how do I get each guy at the ball,
et cetera the best way possible, and it's only to
get better.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
I think now nine different Steelers in that game against
the Bengals had over twenty yards receiving. Mike Williams didn't
have a single target, though.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I need to break down his all twenty two alone
and just see is he getting separate because he's been
on the field. But it's real quiet.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
You and Mark were kind of tiptoeing around this on
your Hit on Mark Show on Monday. Yeah, but like
if Wilson's throwing the ball to nine ten different guys,
he's thrown to you if you're open. Yeah, Like there's
no like, oh, I don't like Mike Williams. I'm not
going to throw the ball. He's thrown it to ben'scronic
for God's sake, right, So it's starting to make me think, like, dude, is.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Mike open he ever gonna make an impact? I mean,
he had a big play we all.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Know, get washed his one target, His only target was he.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Like he's been out there for like sixty snaps and
has one target. You know, like that's not a great
I'm guessing right around there, you.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Know, starting to see some evidence that maybe he's just
not getting opened before.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
He wasn't super impressed with the Jets before.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
We still like the we get to the key matchups here.
Steeers running game. Didn't you know, beat up the Cincinnati Bengals.
But it was effective, surprising much, Yes, And I'm surprised
to see he had seventy five yards in that game.
It was a really I feel like you say this
all the time about it, just a really tough.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Run four yards.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Setting a tone with his runs, Warren kept his streak
going of fifty five plus scrimmage yards in the game
that now stands at six games in a row for
Jalen Warren. Both of those guys are averaging four yards
per carry. Harris obviously has two hundred and seven carries
though compared to seventy eight for Warren, and as a
team of Steelers average four yards per carry only ahead
of four offenses. That's where you want more point five yards.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Yeah, yeah, four to two. Yeah, that's just not enough.
Don't be a bottom three in yards per carry as
often as you run the ball now.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Interestingly enough, because they average right around like one thirty,
maybe a little more, maybe a little less. The Cleveland
defense does against the run. They stuffed ball carriers out
or behind the line of scrimmage at a twenty two
point two percent clip. That's fourth best in the league.
And the Steelers saw a lot of that against Cleveland
in the first meeting. Yeah, all the time. He had
(23:07):
no room to run in that game.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
From what it's off the top of my head, but
I think the Steelers had one tackle for lost in
that game and the Browns had eleven. You're like, you
can't have that kind of penetration. And yes, Garrett's gonna
get his I get that part, but that's part of
the problem.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Is that underrated how great he isn't stopping the run.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Because yeah, I mean especially tackle for lost guys, you know,
behind the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
The key matchups that you have highlighted in this game
mat Browns quarterback Jamis Winston versus Steelers free safety Minca Fitzpatrick.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I think we said it's two weeks ago Minca's do
you know. I mean, it's just the whole past defense.
I lumped it into Menca. I mean, they're gonna throw
the ball a ton. Can you rattle Winston? I don't
know if he rattles, but I mean, can you can
you catch the ones he throws to you? You know,
can you not let them destroy after the catch and
things like that too.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
It's amazing that the secondary has created so much. Splash
is getting a ton of interceptions and Minca has none.
I know, everybody else is eaten for him, and Elliott's
got like three fubbles recovered, Dante's got five picks. I mean,
it's just for whatever reason, there's no question give Hi
assists on a lot of those turnover.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
But I get asked all the time, is he a
declining player? Is he disappointing? No? No, no, it's just
the stats and Splash haven't been there and it's.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Getting a little but it's going to be long, not
this long. And Troy's didn't go through this kind of
a desert like drought when it came to getting an interseting.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Remember when he got here, I mean it was like
every day, it was crazy.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
And then Steelers left tackle Dan Moore versus Browns d
end Miles Garrett has become a very big rivalry within
this game over the.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Sure years, and he'll get plenty of help. And Garrett
was feasting and as everyone remembers on Thursday. Yeah, days ago,
that can't happen.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
He was mad about the Watt thing, obviously, But I'm
sure Garrett's heard too that there's this little rumblings of
Damn Moore kind of has your number, right. I put
that to bed real quick. In this game three sacks
in the first half. Did they move Garrett? They do
all the time, but did they move him to Broderick's
side a lot? And then for not a lot?
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I think he'll still get more more than anybody.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Why why not after what he did in the first Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
I think that's a move. And he's also a really
good twister and stunter. You know. One of his sacks
came against Zach f Asier, coming in on a big stunt. Well.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Steelers return home after the two game road trip against
the Ohio teams. Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Kicks off at one o'clock.
All of our coverage pregame starts at nine am. For
Matt Williamson, I am Tom Opferman. We'll talk to you
next week on the Advanced Scout when we preview these
Steelers and the Eagles. Thanks has always for giving us
a listen.
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the Advanced Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Steelers us an offensive explosion in Cincinnati to get the
forty four to thirty eight victory and improved to nine
and three. Now they welcome the Cleveland Browns to town,
who they just saw a couple of weeks ago and
lost to a couple of weeks ago, Matt, before we
(00:23):
get to the Cleveland games. Refreshing to see the Steelers
win a shootout game like that.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah, I thought that game showed if you want to
play it close to the vest first one to.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Thirteen, we can do that against Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Yeah, if you need to throw it all over the yard,
we could do that. I mean that was my initial thoughts.
I do a podcast like right after the game ends
and basically said the last five years of Steelers teams
would not have won that game. No, it would have
been over early, right, I mean as soon as you
threw to pick six, have been like it used to
be crippling.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
If the Steelers would have made a mistake like that
on their very first drive.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yep, I said this overcome things.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I said the when I was on with Mark on Monday,
Mark Madden seven nothing, Bengals lead tied, fourteen seven Bengals lead,
tiede and twenty one to fourteen Bengals lead tied again,
and then you finally took the lead and took control
of the people on It would have been over so
many different times for the past three years for the
Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout that game, maybe they would have punched
(01:20):
back once, but punching back three times was never a thing.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I mean, it's always a grinded out. If you could
get to twenty in a game like that, you were
thrilled or certainly can't lose a turnover battle, et cetera.
So no, they're they're a good spot. I mean, that
was a big win. Now. I do think that Bengals
defense was really terrible, really terrible, like worse than I
thought when we did this show a week ago.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
But like, how do they don't know Justin Fields is
going to take the ball?
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Like that was?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
That was the worst thing I've seen, Like, what are
you doing in a lundry? You think, yeah too, you
know that everybody knew he was taking the.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Ball, yes, absolutely, and missing tackles left and right. I mean,
pretty soft.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It was like two hundred and forty, two hundred and
fifty yards after the catch us that the Steelers had.
I it's insane amount. Yeah, it's a terrible defense. And
you know, one last thought on the Bengals before we
turn the page to the Browns, and of course we'll
see the Bengals in week eighteen at Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
How much are they can't care about that? They're not.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, I think you put them to bed with that game,
so you're probably going to get a backup quarterback in
the next one.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
And this is a much bigger conversation, but the overall
state of the Ohio teams isn't real good right now.
Are pointing down on both of them.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I will say this, despite having Burrow. That's what I
was just gonna say. Cincinnati kind of might have that
get out of jail free card.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
They do, they do.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
They're one of the more head scratching teams I can
remember watching. You've been doing this a lot more than
me and with higher stakes than I ever have. They
got to be a head scratcher for you as well.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I mean, they have some bonker stats about they've scored
thirty three or more. God still lose a bunch. They
score thirty five or more and still lose a bunch
for the Lass. Rest of the league wins all of them.
But I don't know that that defense is getting fixed
in a year.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I don't think so.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
Higgins won't be back, and you know they got issues.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
They certainly do. This is that's the portion of the
podcast where we now give you a little serious history
between the Steelers and the Browns. We just did that though,
like two weeks ago. If you need any refreshing course,
a refresher course on the Steelers Brown's history.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
One big difference though not short week on the road
in the snow. We're recording this on Tuesday. Those guys
probably got home at like seven am from Denver last night,
and it's going to be them. That's test from a physicality,
you know, rest standpoint and all that.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Playing at Mile high right very taxing too, of course,
a tough place for the Browns toaff to play. Well,
that's kind of where I was going with this. I
don't think that's going to be your answer. The snow
and the short rest, but instead of the serious history,
like what's your thought A couple thoughts on the biggest
things that went against the Steelers in that first meeting
against the Browns.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
In a way, everything that could go well. When we
previewed this game or that game, the two things that
scared me most were Winston is the super hot version,
you know, Yes, and I thought he played extremely well
in that game. Now that sounds a little odd after
watching the Monday night or since, because he was even
(04:04):
crazier good and bad, you know, I mean, just Offston experience.
It really was. It was entertaining, but it would make
you crazy if you're a Browns fan. But I thought
you got Winston's best game in Week one and or
the matchup.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Yeah, he was the tame Jamis Winston in that game.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, and maybe the snow forced him to do that somewhat.
But then he threw you on late that I thought Steelers,
you know, was enough to win.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Got him with a fumble late too. You're getting a
turnover against Jamis. Yeah, it's a given almost when you
play him, it's just how many.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And they also got the best version of Ales Garrett,
you know, which I'm sure he didn't do a whole lot.
Their defense in general was pretty bad too. Yeah, true,
So there was a couple of things that I worried
most about that all came to fruition in that game.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
This is a great stat that you makes Steelers fans
feel warm and good inside. Since hiring Mike Tomlin in
two thousand and seven, the Steelers have the NFL's best
record in divisional games from weeks twelve through the end
of the regular season. He's thirty nine and thirteen in
such games. That's the seventy five percent winning percentage. You
got three more of those games coming up on the schedule. Yeah,
if you win just two out of those three, you
(05:08):
might have the AFC North. You win all three, you
lock it up and yeah, oh.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, yeah, no question about that. I don't think that's
an accident either. I mean, I think that they understand
their opponents extremely well. I mean the year I was
with the Browns as many years ago, it was Ben's
rookie year, but we started every draft meeting we were
like the worst team in the league. I mean, we
started every draft meeting. How do we beat the Steelers?
You know? I mean they and they've pretty much been
the most dominant team in the division since. And Tomlin
(05:34):
excels in those divisional games I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Let you choose the adventure here, Matt, what side of
the ball you think is more of a threat now,
because in the first Advanced Scout podcast against the Browns
you just defaulted into the defense. I'm actually a little
worried about the Jamis Winston offense now in this game.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
You mean, which Browns unit to use?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
A year worry for you in this game? The second
meeting offense, I think so too.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
So they have no running game though, but throw.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
The ball a ton, which is in effect.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Kind of exactly, and the receivers aren't bad, including the Djoku,
and they're definitely not bad. Judy's hot as could be. Yeah,
just because Winston's such a wildcards, such.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
A wildcard, so let's start with that wildcard in that
offensive side of the ball for Cleveland, Uh, they generate
eighteen point two points per game. That's coming up slowly
each week because since Winston has been quarterback, the Browns
are producing twenty one point eight points per game. So
that's about a field goal difference since Jameis Winston's been inserted.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Let me let me stop you super quick, because when
we did this two weeks ago, I had a lot
of stats of when Winston took over X happened. But
I didn't have enough this week much almost like exactly
like the Steelers. There's a line of demarcation with these
offenses when Winston, when Wilson took over that I was
trying to stress a little more because if you look
(06:46):
at like the season long stuff for the Browns offense,
it's horrendous. I mean, the Watson era was horrendous.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Troy Aikman was talking about that on the Monday night
football broadcast. He was kind of harping on just they
show the graphic of the splits of Yeah. He just
is like, you have to wonder where they'd be if
they would have just started Winston or if they would
have put him in week two, week three?
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Could they be the seventh seed right now? Or I
don't think that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
And he said that he thinks the defense taking a
step back this year is just because they were so
bad at offense. I think just threw their hands up
in the air, like, what the hell are we supposed
to do on this side of the ball.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Would they traded Zadarias Smith and you know guys like
that Marty Cooper, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Cleveland throws the ball sixty five point five percent of
the time. Only the Raiders throw the ball at higher clip.
It's odd that those are the two teams that throw
the ball the most.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
I thinks are losing a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
That's the real good just chasing. Yeah, only the Eagles
throw the ball to lower clipt in Pittsburgh just a
little fiiire. Pittsburgh's throwing the ball at forty eight point
eight percent of the time, But that's sixty five point
five percent mark for Cleveland. I mean, I feel like
that's even going on.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I think it's going off like you watched last night.
I mean, Fords are leading rusher with forty one yards.
You know, child averages three yards per carry. It's just
a much differently constructed offense than when Chubb was in
his prime.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
They have a streak of twenty straight games without having
a running back. Every one hundred yard rushing output.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
That yeah, then Virgilion one higher.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
It's really bizarre.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
I mean really bizarre.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
It's not this time last year because he was hurt already.
But let's go back two years. This time, Cleveland was
every week, yeah, rusher rusher, that was their bread and butter.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
And you think about their guards and their own line,
and you know the run scheme, and it's not what
it used to be.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Winston's averages since becoming the Browns starting quarterback. He averages
forty three point six pass attempts a game, twenty seven
of those he completes on average, and he's averaging three
hundred and thirty six yards as the Browns starting quarterback.
He had low watermarks though, in all three of those
categories against the Steelers snow and you also said, you know,
(08:41):
it's not a bad thing that maybe those numbers came
down with Jamis Winston. You get a tamed version of
Jameis Winston still be very effective.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
And I also thought that was the Steelers probably worst
pass rush performance of the of the season, and maybe
a short week on the road had something to do
with it and just didn't have as much juice in
their legs. But I think the pass rushing d line
is back in a big way.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
He said, a Browns record last night. We're doing this
on Tuesday and Monday Night football. Four hundred and ninety
seven passing yards in Denver. This is a great stat
four hundred ninety seven passing yards that he threw plus
the return yard a jot inception that he totaled, which
was one hundred and seventy one. He threw three picks
in that game, two of them taking to the house.
You add all that up, six hundred and sixty eight
(09:23):
yards was accounted for on a football field thanks to Jamis.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
When he throws the football.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yes, as the most of its kind NFL.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
It's never happened.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Run down the field almost seven times, that.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Almost threw a third one.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Matt I thought for sure it was gonna happen. And
you know what, I hate the Browns, but I really
felt for him at that moment. I was like, please,
someone catch him. There's no right they're gonna take us
all the way back to the house. In Judy, who
played a great game, ended up catching him and saving
him of three pick sixes. You mentioned, some of them
be like one hundred yards more. Some of that jump
for Winston or for the Browns offense. When Winston got
(09:56):
in five point two yards per pass attempt with Watson
seven point seven now with Jameis went.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, I mean that tells all the difference, right, And that's.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Been the thing that I think people were so frustrated
with the Browns. Browns fans specifically in the early portions
of the years, they weren't pushing the ball down the
field at all. No, not even a little bit.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Cooper, Judy Tillman, you know the Joku Elijah Moore like,
throw the wall down the field.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What do you think about Judy's performance on Monday night?
It was unbelievable. Over two hundred yards.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yeah, I thought it was the most.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yardage of any player in a revenge game against this
former team I know.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
And he's been really good since Winston's been there. I
mean these last five games or whatever, he's been really good.
I'm not taking anything away from him, nor am I
picking on a former Steeler, But I think a lot
of it had to do with Levi Wallace because there
were some advanced stats that came out today that when
Certaine was on Judy he basically got nothing. He ran
like twenty routes and caught like one ball. But when
(10:54):
he was against all the other corners who were super
banged up in replacement level, he tore him apart.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
That's why I think had a very appropriate sweet last
night during that game, Like this is an example of
what the importance was to getting Dante Jackson and shoring
up that second corner.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
The guy who was there fried right, right, he shot.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
By guy who's coming to town next week. So you think
Porter just takes him on though, Judy.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Did you like the strategy of putting Porter on Higgins
instead of I did.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I thought that was interesting. It was very BELICHICKI in.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Right, double the best player and cut off the head
of the second best.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Now, the penalties were a problem, obviously, but he also
didn't play as bad in coverage as.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
You know he did it. And that's a second receiver
that's bigger, more routes that gave Porter problems. Remind me
of Terry McLaurin in the Washington game. Yeah, Porter problems
because he's bigger. It's tougher to knock those guys off their.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Routes percent So I thought he matched up better in
that regard. Judy's a little more oily, hips fluid, not
as physical. I don't know. You might just left right it.
If Tillman plays, he's more the physical guy, and I
think you could just leave those guys okay, yeah, and
then put some attention speed can run with them.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
He can handle Judy on a flyer out.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Yeah, it's not gonna be like Wallas.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Yeah, he's not gonna be out raced, right.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
So I have to get a more thought. I think
it's a good conversation.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
But you know what, they're in a good spot where
you can do either. You can double Judy, you can
have Dante takem you can have yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Yeah, like you'll just figure it out down to down.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Now, Joker is the one that scares me the most.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
It's seventeen targets.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Last Winston loves him. He throws the ball to him
a ton. Nine catches. Of those seventeen targets, he had
fifty two yards and he had the two touchdowns in
the game against them, big red zone target.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Really good after catch, super talented. Yeah, there's some inconsistencies.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Came on a little late in his career. But I
think we've talked about him a lot obviously on this
podcast the past couple of years with play him twice.
Always that guy that you look at this just like
he's a perfect specimen for the He's so much better
than he is, and I think he's starting to get
better than he is now. There's just so many great
tight ends around the league. It's tough to become a
star when it's a crowded field already and you're in Cleveland.
(13:05):
But kid or in that tier.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Below, I think I think so too. I think he's
really great with the.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Firemoth something like that. Yeah, a little bit better than
a firemouth.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
On better receiver, better after the catch, better athlete. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
So, and Joku worries me, what do you do to
handle him?
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Well, you're gonna get a ton of eleven personnel, You're
That's how teams attack the Steelers anyway, So expect a
lot of nickel, maybe even more dime, just because their
running game is so bad they don't even trying to
run the ball, right, Yeah, I mean, so if if
Trice is healthy, does he get a little bit more action?
Is your sixth defensive back? I don't know they have
(13:42):
answers for tight ends though. All in all, the middle
of field is pretty strong in coverage.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Cleveland average is just eighty seven point three rushing yards
per game in three point eight yards per Carrie. That's
only ahead of Las Vegas and Dallas, and only the
Cowboys have fewer runs of ten plus more yards than
the Browns twenty three of that kind. Steelers have given
up just twenty nine such carries. That's the fourth best
in the NFL, and the Steelers only surrendered ninety point
five rushing yards per game, also the fourth best in
(14:08):
the NFL. One thing I thought was a huge problem
the last time these two teams met, no pressure on
Jamis Wentz.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Now he had that time in the pocket, and I
can excuse the second half away when there was a
million feet no. Yeah, but no, you need to dominate.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
And I bet it's at home this week.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
I mean, and I know that Cam Hayward and Watt
were ashamed of their performance against the Browns the first
time round. I'd be shocked if it's the same.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Only one sack for the Steelers against the Browns. Browns
quarterbacks still have been sacked fifty times this season. That's
the most in the league, and only the Bears and
Titans have a worse sack rate allowed at nine point
six per cent. And the Broncos were all over wins. Yeah,
I mean, Benito was in his grill all game long.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
That's the thing player, by the way.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
But he's a beast.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yeah, he's really good.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
He had one of the pick sixes.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Yeah, yeah, me dropped on the coverage. I'd be shocked
if the Steelers pass rush is not much better than
it was Thursday night.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
It certainly is going to have to be. I think, honestly,
there's different Obviously, levers you got to pull to get
a win in a National Football League game. But if
you pull that lever, it goes a long way. If
you just get Winston on the ground like four or
five times.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
With a sad you might get high Smith back.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I mean, you got quite sounds like Tomlin was confident
today in his pressure on Tony.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Adams back in the mix as well, like you're really
deep and athletic upfront.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Let's take a look at the Cleveland Browns defense. I mean,
the one guy that wrecked the game last time these
two met two weeks ago was Miles Garrett. He had
three sacks all in the first half of that game.
Uh stripsack as well. That really changed momentum for them.
They also had nine quarterback hits as a team, and
that in a bad way.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Yes, I mean, I'm not sure if we even talk
about it enough, but the Steelers do allow too much
pressure overall, Like the pressure rate allowed isn't great offensively.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
And you know what, they're lucky that Russell Wilson is
very clearly he always has been this kind of guy,
but he's very clearly still the kind of guy that
does not care about getting sacked. Oh no, right, tough
enough that it's yeah, some of those guys, even a Brady,
the sack of them enough a little bit ratt it's
a little uncomfortable.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Now see us at all. I don't either, And I
know that if you look in the box score. Wilson
was sacked twice against the Bengals. One of them he
easily could have thrown away, and he took the sack
to keep the clock running. I one hundred percent believe that.
And the earlier one he was starting to run. And
I don't know why the scorekeeper called that a sack.
It was it should have been a rushing attempt. So
(16:31):
they did a lot better job protecting. Now. I know
Bengals offense defense isn't good, but they have Henderson. You know,
I Garrett's better.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
They had the sack leader.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, I mean, Garrett's better. And I'm sure the whole
Garrett Watt thing is on his mind. I mean Garrett's
going to give you everything he got against Steelers, even
if the Browns.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
These are Super Bowls.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Yeah, I would imagine. Yeah, I mean, he might shut
down at the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
But you mentioned that pressure rate. The Browns defense is
fourth and pressure rate, while the Steelers offense is twenty fifth.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
One of the true advantages Cleveland does have is they
get they don't get other than Garrett, nobody gets sacked.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
It's weird.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
It is weird. But the la Darius Smith is gone,
he's their second sack guy, you know.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Focusing on the Steelers side of that though, twenty fifth
and pressure rate allowed, that's not gonna cut it. It's
gonna be bad in the playoffs too, right.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
Right right. That needs to get burned up.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
No question about it. Do you think that's just a
offensive line's got to play better?
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Thing? Mostly rastly, I mean they've thought the tacks played
well last week. Yeah, I did to absolutely. I didn't
think Siamalu had a great game, but I thought the
rest of the line was quite good. A little worrisome,
but they have good chippers, and their running backs are
good in protection fields, and Wilson will hold the ball,
you know, Some of these are quarterback related to.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
The Browns defense allows a set of downs to turn
into a new set of downs or a touchdown at
a sixty eight percent rate. Only the Eagles, Vikings, and
Texans are better. There's metrics that tell you that the
Browns defense is still very good.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Yeah, and it's great last year.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
And if the offense was, like Aikman kind of said
on Monday Night Football, if the offense wasn't so inept
in the first four or five weeks of the season,
their numbers as a whole would be even better as well.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Yeah, And like wo su Core more is not is
on IR now too, and like they traded Darius Smith Smith,
but they still have a lot going on on defense.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
The Steelers are averaging almost one yard per play more
since Russell Wilson has taken over at quarterbacks four point
eight yards per play in weeks one through six, and
to Russell Wilson, they're now at five point seven yards
per play and they are it's amazing. And they're creating
explosive plays at a twelve point two percent clip with
Wilson compared to nine percent before he wasn't serted as
a starter. You might say, oh, the three point two
(18:31):
percent more, that's massive in the amount of sample size
that you have of plays run and plays, So to
jump from nine to twelve point two is incredible in
just six weeks time.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
It doesn't sound like a lot. If you run sixty
plays a game over the course of a month and
a year, it adds a lot.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Build up to that. Yeah, Russ jumps in and he
has a three percent increase. Cleveland gives up six point
eight yards per pass attempt. That is only better than
the Jaguars. So it looks like you should be able
to throw on this team.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
That parts really bad for them, but their completion percentage
allowed is really good, so it's hard to complete passes
on them.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
It's a bizarre defense.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
But they allows too many explosives.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
I guess Wilson through two hundred and seventy yards or
for two hundred and seventy yards in these this these
two teams first meeting in the snow in Cleveland, and
I think it's important to remember that Russell Wilson gave
the Steelers a lead in that game, brought the back.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Yeah, Fields had.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
Something to do with it as well. He had a
big thirty yard run, but Wilson got the touchdown past
the Calvin Austin a beautiful ball. Nineteen to eighteen lead
for the Steelers just weren't able to hold on too.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
It weren't hold onto that play and Winston through the
pick in that game, I'm like, the Steelers are going
to stake this one out, right. I mean, I don't
know that. I didn't think they were the better team
that night, but I'm like, man, they're gonna get out
of here with a win. And it's not how went.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
The Browns allowed two one hundred yard receivers last week
against the Denver broadcasts.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Not easy to do. I don't think the Steelers will
get the two, but I could see Pickens being one.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I could see Pickens being one. I'll give you a
sneaky one too, go Firemouth.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
I hope he's getting more.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Is that just a Bengals thing? Or can we finally
break out?
Speaker 1 (20:03):
That's what I say. I mean his two best games recently, every.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Game of his career. Career high is probably the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
But he noticed the last two weeks or so, Mooth
is getting more and more involved with Wilson. I think
they're getting more of a camut.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
He led the team and targets against the Bengals Mooth
did and.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Which is overdue. I think he needs to be a
bigger part of the offense period.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
You can see Russell Wilson likes to use tight ends
because he's gravitated towards Mount Washington since becoming the starter.
But I think you're right. I think, you know, as
you get more of a chemistry with an actual receiving
tight end, like Pat Firemouth starts to really, I'm gonna
throw to eighty eight instead of big Mount Washington more
often than not.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
And I think the teaching point there is, yes, he
was in camp, and yes he played the preseason, and
he was on the sidelines for the first couple of games,
first couple of games, but he's really only been in
six real games, five or six Wilson six games. Yet,
it's not much with new teammates, a new offense. You know,
he's still getting to know these guys.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
It's amazing that he's good as he is, Yeah, right, right,
It's amazing that he threw the ball to ten different
people in that game.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, that's kind of my point. Is he starting to
understand how do I get each guy at the ball,
et cetera the best way possible, and it's only to
get better.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
I think now nine different Steelers in that game against
the Bengals had over twenty yards receiving. Mike Williams didn't
have a single target, though.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
I need to break down his all twenty two alone
and just see is he getting separate because he's been
on the field. But it's real quiet.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
You and Mark were kind of tiptoeing around this on
your Hit on Mark Show on Monday. Yeah, but like
if Wilson's throwing the ball to nine ten different guys,
he's thrown to you if you're open. Yeah, Like there's
no like, oh, I don't like Mike Williams. I'm not
going to throw the ball. He's thrown it to ben'scronic
for God's sake, right, So it's starting to make me think, like, dude, is.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Mike open he ever gonna make an impact? I mean,
he had a big play we all.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Know, get washed his one target, His only target was he.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
Like he's been out there for like sixty snaps and
has one target. You know, like that's not a great
I'm guessing right around there, you.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Know, starting to see some evidence that maybe he's just
not getting opened before.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
He wasn't super impressed with the Jets before.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
We still like the we get to the key matchups here.
Steeers running game. Didn't you know, beat up the Cincinnati Bengals.
But it was effective, surprising much, Yes, And I'm surprised
to see he had seventy five yards in that game.
It was a really I feel like you say this
all the time about it, just a really tough.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Run four yards.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Setting a tone with his runs, Warren kept his streak
going of fifty five plus scrimmage yards in the game
that now stands at six games in a row for
Jalen Warren. Both of those guys are averaging four yards
per carry. Harris obviously has two hundred and seven carries
though compared to seventy eight for Warren, and as a
team of Steelers average four yards per carry only ahead
of four offenses. That's where you want more point five yards.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Yeah, yeah, four to two. Yeah, that's just not enough.
Don't be a bottom three in yards per carry as
often as you run the ball now.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Interestingly enough, because they average right around like one thirty,
maybe a little more, maybe a little less. The Cleveland
defense does against the run. They stuffed ball carriers out
or behind the line of scrimmage at a twenty two
point two percent clip. That's fourth best in the league.
And the Steelers saw a lot of that against Cleveland
in the first meeting. Yeah, all the time. He had
(23:07):
no room to run in that game.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
From what it's off the top of my head, but
I think the Steelers had one tackle for lost in
that game and the Browns had eleven. You're like, you
can't have that kind of penetration. And yes, Garrett's gonna
get his I get that part, but that's part of
the problem.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Is that underrated how great he isn't stopping the run.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Because yeah, I mean especially tackle for lost guys, you know,
behind the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
The key matchups that you have highlighted in this game
mat Browns quarterback Jamis Winston versus Steelers free safety Minca Fitzpatrick.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I think we said it's two weeks ago Minca's do
you know. I mean, it's just the whole past defense.
I lumped it into Menca. I mean, they're gonna throw
the ball a ton. Can you rattle Winston? I don't
know if he rattles, but I mean, can you can
you catch the ones he throws to you? You know,
can you not let them destroy after the catch and
things like that too.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
It's amazing that the secondary has created so much. Splash
is getting a ton of interceptions and Minca has none.
I know, everybody else is eaten for him, and Elliott's
got like three fubbles recovered, Dante's got five picks. I mean,
it's just for whatever reason, there's no question give Hi
assists on a lot of those turnover.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
But I get asked all the time, is he a
declining player? Is he disappointing? No? No, no, it's just
the stats and Splash haven't been there and it's.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Getting a little but it's going to be long, not
this long. And Troy's didn't go through this kind of
a desert like drought when it came to getting an interseting.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Remember when he got here, I mean it was like
every day, it was crazy.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
And then Steelers left tackle Dan Moore versus Browns d
end Miles Garrett has become a very big rivalry within
this game over the.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Sure years, and he'll get plenty of help. And Garrett
was feasting and as everyone remembers on Thursday. Yeah, days ago,
that can't happen.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
He was mad about the Watt thing, obviously, But I'm
sure Garrett's heard too that there's this little rumblings of
Damn Moore kind of has your number, right. I put
that to bed real quick. In this game three sacks
in the first half. Did they move Garrett? They do
all the time, but did they move him to Broderick's
side a lot? And then for not a lot?
Speaker 1 (25:01):
I think he'll still get more more than anybody.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Why why not after what he did in the first Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
I think that's a move. And he's also a really
good twister and stunter. You know. One of his sacks
came against Zach f Asier, coming in on a big stunt. Well.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Steelers return home after the two game road trip against
the Ohio teams. Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Kicks off at one o'clock.
All of our coverage pregame starts at nine am. For
Matt Williamson, I am Tom Opferman. We'll talk to you
next week on the Advanced Scout when we preview these
Steelers and the Eagles. Thanks has always for giving us
a listen.
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