Jerry Jeudy had a lot of fun posting career numbers against his former team, but the final score made it an incomplete night for him and the Browns. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst of the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
PITTSBURGH, PA
Four downs on Browns (3-9) v. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
First down: Cleveland's Temple of Doom.
Whenever newbie Browns are informed of the franchise’s most embarrassing streak of ineptitude, their typical response is, “Damn. Really?” Yes, it’s true. The Browns have not won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003. That’s 20 straight losses. Acrisure Stadium (nee Heinz Field) opened in 2001. The Browns lost their first two games there, too, which means the Browns have won only one regular-season game in the building’s history. (Yes, the Browns won there in the 2020 wild-card game. It was the COVID year and only a few hundred family and team employees were allowed in the stands.) The only Browns regular-season victory was orchestrated on a Sunday night in October of 2003 by original Browns expansion quarterback Tim Couch. In what proved to be his last good game for the Browns, Couch completed 20 of 25 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns, and a 111.3 passer rating. It was pre-Mike Tomlin and pre-Ben Roethlisberger. So the Browns never beat Big Ben or Tomlin on their home field (other than the playoff game). It’s the second-longest losing streak in one NFL venue all time. Since the Browns beat the Steelers on November 21 in Cleveland, the possibility of a series sweep exists with a win in Pittsburgh. The Browns have not swept the Steelers season series since 1988. During that time, the Steelers have 14 season sweeps of the Browns.
Second down: Under his skin.
George Pickens is an extremely important player for the Steelers if they hope to advance in the AFC playoffs. (They haven’t won a post-season game since 2016. Tomlin’s post-season record is 8-10 with four losses in a row.) Pickens is the Steelers’ only bona fide deep receiving threat capable of taking advantage of quarterback Russell Wilson’s renowned “moon ball” throws. Without Pickens performing, the Steelers probably can’t keep up with the offenses of Kansas City and Buffalo in a playoff showdown. Thus, it’s imperative that Tomlin keep the hot head of Pickens from boiling over. It has happened in his last two games against the Browns and Bengals. Pickens ended the Browns’ game yanking cornerback Greg Newsome into the field seats by the helmet rather than looking for Wilson’s last desperate pass into the Cleveland end zone. Then he committed two personal fouls against the Bengals in his next game. In Pittsburgh this week, Pickens was asked about his skirmish with Newsome and he responded, “I don’t even know who that is.” Clearly, the Browns got under Pickens’ skin. Which gives the Browns an edge, as long as they don’t stoop to Pickens’ level. “We’re not the ones that have to be careful. We do what we do and let him do what he does,” said safety Grant Delpit. Added cornerback Martin Emerson, “We’re gonna come play. We’re gonna be physical. And we’re gonna make sure we don’t do anything dumb after the play.”
Third down: Garrett v. Watt, Part 2
The rivalry between pass rushers Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt runs deep because both players treasure the NFL defensive player-of-the-year award like a rare gem. After Garrett won it for the first time last year, Watt made disparaging comments on social media. Then Garrett outplayed Watt in the November 21 prime-time game in Cleveland with three sacks and one stripped fumble. Watt was an invisible man with merely a handful of non-impact tackles. After the game, Garrett’s true emotions came out when he boasted on the Amazon telecast, “I'm number one. And that's what I am, Edge 1 to defensive player-of-the-year. I'm the guy. It's still me. There's no other person being defended like I am, or schemed or played against like I am.” Until that game, sportsbooks made Watt a prohibitive favorite to capture his second DPOY award. Most had Garrett as the fifth or sixth choice. Since then, the gap has narrowed. BetMGM currently has Watt at -275. Garrett, who was -2000 two weeks ago, has moved into second place on BetMGM at -1000. Take advantage of that number now, because if Garrett can upstage Watt in the rematch, his odds will shrink considerably.
Fourth down: Jeudy, Jeudy, Jeudy.
Since Jameis Winston took over as Browns quarterback, Jerry Jeudy in five games has put up WR1 numbers – 33 receptions on 49 targets for 614 yards (18.6 average) and two touchdowns. His 9-catch, 235-yard game in prime-time in Denver brought a second apology on social media from nemesis Steve Smith Sr. of NFL Network. Smith, who dissed Jeudy in an on-air pre-game rant when Jeudy was with the Broncos a year, previously apologized to Jeudy on an October 27 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Jeudy smartly took the high road and didn't victory-lap Smith. Asked what he can do for an encore in Pittsburgh, Jeudy said, “My thoughts are to keep doing what I’m doing and just make sure I do a little bit more to come out on top with a W.” Jeudy’s five-game surge has moved him into a tie for fifth in receiving yards (880) – matching 2020 first-round draft pick CeeDee Lamb of the Cowboys – and ninth overall in yards per catch (16.3).
The pick: Steelers 27, Browns 23.
My record: 7-5.