PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - The 4-1 Cleveland Browns will be looking for their first win in Pittsburgh since 2003 when they face the 4-0 Steelers on Sunday. The Browns have the NFL's highest-scoring offense, but quarterback Baker Mayfield is dealing with a rib injury.
Whatever the extent of the injury, it has defensive end Cam Heyward's attention.
"I'm not a doctor," Heyward said Wednesday. "I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I know how bruised up he is. But at the end of the day I'm just trying to inflict good punishment."
Heyward chuckled as he finished his thought, but his point was clear.
"As a defense, you want to make sure a quarterback feels you," Heyward said. "You want to make sure he's thinking about the rush. All those other things, his injuries, so be it. We play a physical game. He's going to come up there and try to be a warrior for his team, but it's up to us to make him think about that injury during the day."
Heyward said the Browns offense is impressive, and it starts with a rebuilt offensive line that added veteran free agent Jack Conklin and first-round pick Jedrick Wills at the tackles.
"They do a good job of getting hats on blockers, finishing plays," Heyward said. "They've got a bunch that finishes plays. The offensive line does a great job of not only getting their blocks, but getting to the second level. And they have some explosive running backs that finish the job."
Even without the injured Nick Chubb, the Browns ran for 124 yards in last Sunday's win over the Colts. The Browns lead the NFL in rushing with a 188.4 average. The Steelers defense is second in the league, allowing 64.0 yards per game on the ground.