BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Based on the results over the last three decades, Browns-Steelers hasn’t been much of a rivalry.
With a chance to sweep the Steelers for the first time since 1988 on the line, Pittsburgh’s chief agitator George Pickens tried stirring the pot Friday prompting a response from cornerback Greg Newsome II.
Here’s a few Brownie Bites from Friday.
War of words – After Pickens was asked if he would speak with Newsome prior to Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh, the Steelers receiver said, “I don’t even know who that is.” Newsome brushed off the diss when asked about it after practice Friday. “The only way you would take something that somebody says disrespectful is if you actually care about that person,” Newsome said. “So I don't care what he has to say or anybody has to say. So I don't take it as disrespectful because I don't care about the dude at all.” Pickens has a history of accumulating unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and has been a headache for Steeler coach Mike Tomlin since he was drafted in the second round in 2022. “I'm all about the team,” Newsome said. “Obviously he's the guy that cares more so about himself, and you could see that in the penalties that he causes. And for me, my job is to try to do whatever I can to help the team win. So there's never going to be no one-on-one battle. For me, my battle is to try to help my team get to win.” Following the final play of the Browns 24-19 win November 21, Pickens started to fight with Newsome and the two had to be separated. The league decided not to fine Pickens. “Things like that I think is definitely unnecessary and the league has done a great job in fining unnecessary behaviors, but I mean if they didn't see it as a fine, that's cool with me,” Newsome said. “I'm just going to go out and try to, like I said, help my team get a win.” Newsome doesn’t foresee keeping his cool Sunday to be a problem for him, but Pickens could be another story. “I'm an ultimate professional, so it's easy for me. I mean, a guy like him is obviously hard,” Newsome said. “That happened our game. He got two more penalties the next game, so that's just a trend that he does. But me, I'm a professional so I would never let somebody make me do something to hurt my football team.”
Case closed – The NFL has closed their investigation into the most recent allegations levied in a civil lawsuit in September against Deshaun Watson and was unable to find sufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy according to a league spokesperson. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com first reported the news. Watson reached an undisclosed settlement with the accuser in early October.
Just kidding – Defensive end Myles Garrett, who had three sacks in the first half of that win over the Steelers before the snow came, explained he was just kidding about wanting Steelers rusher T.J. Watt to apologize for being upset he won Defensive Player of the Year in February. “I mean, it was a joke when I said I’d make him apologize,” Garrett said. “But I mean I take the games against the Steelers personal because they’re the rivalry games. Everyone in the division is a personal game. Whether it's the Battle of Ohio, whether it's the Ravens, whoever it is, you have to create added motivation. Because it means more to organization, it means more to the fans and ultimately it means more to the players. All that stuff, all that history, all of that tradition. It gets funneled into you all the time. So I don't take anything from that situation. I have a lot of respect for tj, what he does and how talented he is, but our teams are matched up and I want to be the best player on the field just like he does. So look forward to doing that.”
Been awhile – The Browns haven’t won a regular season game in Pittsburgh since 2003 or swept the season series since 1998. “Now that you say that, it going to mean a lot,” receiver Jerry Jeudy said. “36 years, a long time. That's something that I believe that the fan base going to be happy with. We going to be happy with and that's something we're going to try to do.”
Practice squad adds – The Browns signed a pair of defensive tackles =to the practice squad Friday –Michael Dwumfour and T.Y. McGill.
Injury report – OUT: DT Maurice Hurst (ankle), DT Sam Kamara (concussion), WR Cedric Tillman (concussion), LT Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee); QUESTIONABLE: CB Myles Harden (tibia), WR Jamari Thrash (shoulder), S Juan Thornhill (calf)
