Alex Highsmith and T.J Watt both score in Steelers Week 2 win
by Bo Marchionte
Published September 19, 2023, 03:17AM
Pittsburgh, PA – The last time the Browns and Steelers met on Monday in Pittsburgh to play football, two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger was the starting quarterback. That January night in 2022, the Steelers won 26-14, despite Roethlisberger posting a 56. 2 passer rating.
Kenny Pickett mimicked Roethlisberger early in the game with an interception on the third play of the Steelers first offensive series. It kept in vogue the dismal offensive performances that have plagued a lethargic offense since the second-year quarterback has been in the system.
“No, we were locked in on winning the game,” Pickett said in response to hearing the crowd booing his offensive coordinator Matt Canada after the Steelers were unable to convert a third down to run out the clock in victory formation.
Despite the win, Pittsburgh has the residue of an ugly offensive scheme that continues to keep the team mediocre in the National Football League. The Steelers head to Las Vegas for their first road game of the season in Week 3.
Steelers Week 2 Recap: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good: Steelers Defense
Their defense wasn’t good, “They’re Gr-r-r-reat,” as Tony the Tiger proudly proclaimed. The Pittsburgh defense scored two touchdowns and harassed Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson the entire game. The defense recorded six sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, one interception and three forced fumbles, all recovered by Pittsburgh.
“Splash,” was the word used by T.J. Watt postgame to describe the Steelers defense against Cleveland. “I mean, I think that’s what we talk about is creating splash as a defense.”
Alex Highsmith intercepted Watson the first series of the game and returned in 30-yards for the score. Then late in the fourth quarter with the Steelers trailing Cleveland, 22-19, Highsmith sacked Watson and forced the fumble that teammate T.J. Watt would return 16-yards for the game winning touchdown.
The dynamic duo was simply too much for the Browns to handle, especially once Nick Chubb left the game in the second quarter with a horrific knee injury that will keep him out of the Browns line-up for the rest of the season.
With four sacks already under his belt after two games, it’s apparent Watt is in pursuit of his second Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Bad: Steelers Run Game
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren broke a couple long runs late in the game that masked how poor the running game was for the Steelers. Pittsburgh entered half-time against the Browns with eight carries for one yard.
In the third quarter, Harris made back-to-back runs of 21 and 17 yards. To Harris’s credit he was stuffed behind the line of scrimmage for what looked to be an apparent loss but was able to break free of the tackle for loss and change direction and scamper around the right side of the traffic for the gain. Those two runs equaled 38-yards while his other eight carries resulted in 1.6 yards per carry.
“We got to run the ball and possess the ball,” Steelers center Mason Cole said. The Browns lost the game but won the time of possession battle by nearly ten full minutes (Browns 35:28/Steelers 24:32). Pittsburgh was outgained 408 to 255 on total offense.
Warren is the team’s most targeted receiver with 12 targets over the first two weeks. He caught four of his six throws from Pickett on Monday night to finish with 66-yards, a career-high. In the running game, like Harris, Warren found it difficult to run the football. Taking away his long run of eight yards on the Steelers final drive before the victory formation to win the game, Warren had an average yards per carry of 2.4. Add in that eight-yard run late and it jumps up to 3.3 yards per carry.
The Ugly: Nick Chubb Injury
The collision of Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick on the left knee of Chubb resulted in a devastating aftermath. The Browns four-time Pro Bowler exited the game on second play of the second quarter. Chubb already accounted for 10 carries for 64 yards. The injury captured on replay or still frame is the type of visual that makes your skin crawl.
“You always hate to see it,” Steelers defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk said after the game. “Really no matter who it is but being Nick Chubb, I mean he is one of the top guys at his position. So, you really hate to see a guy with that much potential go down early like that. We are all hoping for the best for him.”
Back-up Jerome Ford would score on the next play via a pass from DeShaun Watson and the second-year pro who played collegiately at both Alabama and Cincinnati rushed for 106-yards on just 16 carries for a whopping 6.6 yards per carry.
Chubb’s absence is a reminder of how violent the game is.
Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com
