The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping they can capture some Monday night magic and pull to 1-1 against the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh fell flat at home last week against the San Francisco 49ers but that might have been the wake-up call the team needed after a flawless preseason. If the Steelers do plan to beat a physical Browns team, here are the keys to victory.
Pressure on Deshaun Watson
Last week, Deshaun Watson had a very quiet game in the Browns win. This week the Steelers pass rush, led by T.J. Watt needs to force Watson into making some mistakes and create turnovers.
Tackle Mr. Chubb
Last week, Niners running back Christian McCaffrey ran all over the Steelers defense. You can bet the Browns will try to do the same with Nick Chubb. Pittsburgh has to do a better job meeting Chubb at the line of scrimmage and tackle him without letting short runs turn into big plays.
Win on possession downs
Third down should be when the Steelers amp things up but it seems like this is when the team, especially the offense looks lost the most. Some of this has to be attributed to offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s inability to innovate with his offense.
Get Kenny Pickett wins early
Speaking of Canada and the Steelers offense, it is important for Canada to get Pickett some wins early. He was miserable last week and needs some easy plays to get some completions and boost his confidence out of the gate.
