PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s a little different against Cleveland in this matchup. The Steelers discuss the challenge of facing DeShaun Watson for the first time as the Browns quarterback.
Even with some moderate success under Jacoby Brissett, Watson immediately became the starter when the suspension ended. He is 3-2 including knocking Washington out of the playoffs on New Year’s Day with a three touchdown, no interception performance, he also rushed for 31 yards.
“Watson is an athletic force in the backfield,” said Steelers defensive captain Cam Heyward. “He can throw any ball. He can get out of any situation. You have to make sure you get full body weight because he will shrug off defenders.”
“Obviously, stepping into a stadium with Deshaun Watson has our attention, what he brings and getting a feel for him,” said Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin. “We don't have a lot of exposure to him, obviously. The first in-stadium exposure is going to be a significant one for us and understanding how to manage his talents and what it means in terms of how these two groups come together. His mobility, his ability to extend plays and make throws. We’ve got to do a better job than we did last time with [Amari] Cooper as a featured central guy.”
“They’ve done a lot of pistol formations, a lot of gun,” said Steelers TJ Watt. “They use him as a runner a little bit more. It’s tough to tell until you are in stadium with them what they want to do. They also have a very capable back. They can just run the ball all day if they want to.”
“Not too much changes in their system besides the quarterback roll,” said Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. “He’s a great talent, he can scramble. He can extend plays with his legs and make throws down the field. He has a strong arm, good eyes down the field. He scrambles to throw, not to run. That can be a challenge for any secondary.”
Cleveland thought enough about him to give him the highest guaranteed contract in the history of the sport. And that’s with questions as to his availability due to his legal issues in Houston. Watson got $230 million guaranteed over five years. He’s probably the first legit Cleveland franchise quarterback since Otto Graham, or maybe Brian Sipe or Bernie Kosar.
Steelers faced him one time while he was in Houston. Steelers won that game as Watson was 19-27 for 264 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception.
While they’ve added Watson, their lead on offense is still tailback Nick Chubb. The fifth-year Brown is second in the league in rushing with 1,448 yards with a dozen touchdowns. Earlier this year Chubb had one of his seven one-hundred-yard games, 113 on 23 carries with a touchdown. In his career, Chubb has 576 yards with 10 touchdowns and a 4.47 yards-per-carry average against the Steelers.
“Chubb is the straw that stirs the drink,” Heyward said. “He does a great job of getting downhill. Multiple guys will have to get to the ball because he will run through arm tackles. He really is the guy that makes the team go.”
“Every team we played since week 11 or 12, they’ve been running the ball,” said Steelers defensive lineman Montravius Adams. “If we want to survive we have to stop the run. This week will be the same game plan, actually similar to the Ravens because they run the zone read with DeShaun Watson. It will be the same week, we have to come in and try to stop the run again. They have two great backs and a QB that can run the ball. It’s pretty much going to be the same thing.”
“With them adding DeShaun Watson with Chubb, it’s dangerous.”
“We have to play better football on the defensive side of the ball,” Fitzpatrick said of the earlier 29-17 loss to Cleveland. “We were playing sloppy, bad eyes, bad feet, looking at the wrong things, missing tackles. It wasn’t our normal standard of football. We got to keep trending in the right direction like we’ve been doing in the last four-to-five weeks. Play with great discipline, great eyes, great execution, physical football up front and on the back end, I think we will play at a high level.”
“There's a reason he was picked when he was and has performed the way he has,” Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin said of Watson. “You’re
looking at a guy that has a top-notch skill set. We know what kind of skill set he's had. We've seen him around here before, and he can make all the throws, and he can run, he can do it all. So, we'll have our work cut out for us this week.”
“It’s awesome to have a fighting chance to get to the playoffs,” said Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith. “We know we have a big game this week against the Browns fighting for our playoff lives, I’m excited for that. We have to continue fighting.”