CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Nick Chubb isn’t the only one chasing a career-high Sunday in Pittsburgh.
So is receiver Amari Cooper, who looks to cap a spectacular first season with the Browns by topping his career-best receiving yardage mark set while with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019.
“I would be lying if I said it wasn't [important],” Cooper said. “Every year you want to get better. Because like they say, if you're not getting better, you're getting worse. So you don't work real hard in the offseason and preseason to get worse. So, yeah, it's something that's very important to me.”
Cooper is just 80 yards shy of matching the 1,189 yards that earned him a Pro Bowl nod three years ago but he’s already surpassed his best touchdown reception season – also in 2019 – with nine TDs.
His nine touchdowns are the most by a Browns receiver since Josh Gordon caught that many in 2013.
Last week in Washington Cooper caught just three passes but he racked up 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the process.
Get em over the hump – Quarterback Deshaun Watson is aware of Cooper and Chubb being on the cusp of career milestones.
“It'd be awesome,” Watson said. “I mean those are, there's stats that are legendary, like you said, Jim Brown for Chubb and then Amari making career highs. I mean this is opportunities for both of those guys to be able to do that in a big game and finished strong. So for me to be able to help out and participate with that, I’m grateful and why I want push for it for sure.”
Chubb is 52 yards away from joining Jim Brown as the only players in franchise history to run for 1,500 yards in a season.
Grab the brooms – The two most prominent new Browns this season got the memo about the importance of Sunday’s game with the Steelers.
“Oh, most definitely,” Watson said. “I know the Browns fans are pulling very, very hard for this win and they want this one to finish out the year and be able to go into the next season with two victories on our belt and especially against Pittsburgh.”
A win would not only secure the first season sweep of the Steelers since the Reagan administration, but it would give Pittsburgh the boot from the playoffs too, which for Browns fans is the frosting on the cake.
The winner Sunday also secures third place and avoids the division cellar.
“I think I heard somewhere yesterday that we haven't swept the Steelers since the ‘80s or something like that,” Cooper said. “So obviously that would be a real cool thing to do with the players on this team and also just because of the rivalry being able to spoil their playoff hopes.
“Yeah, so I know how important it is.”
Locked in – Right guard Joel Bitonio believes Joe Thomas can start getting fitted for a gold jacket and his face measured for a bust.
“I think he's a lock,” Bitonio said. “And I think not even biasly, like if you just look at the other candidates and all of them are great players, but what he did in his career, what he did for the city of Cleveland, the person he is, all that combined, I think he's a lock to me to be in the Hall of Fame.
“It was truly honestly a blessing for me to come into this league and be able to play next to him for the first four years.”
Thomas was one of 15 modern-era finalists named for the class of 2023 Wednesday night. A panel of 49 will vote on the finalists and the class will be unveiled at NFL Honors the night before the Super Bowl.
Award winners – Bitonio and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett were voted this season’s Joe Thomas Player of the Year and Dino Lucarelli Good guy award winners respectively by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Quote of the day – “We are praying for him. We are praying for his family. We are praying for the whole Bills organization. We are praying for all of the teammates in that locker room for the Buffalo Bills. I heard the same news before I came up to do my interview. I was reading the same thing. Our prayers are all for Damar, his family and the Buffalo Bills. We are pulling for him very, very strong. For us to be able to go to this week, of course, football, we have a job, but the whole NFL is thinking about him, and we are going to make sure that we are playing for him, praying for him and pulling for him. We want the best for everything to come back as best as possible.” Watson on Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
Injury report – DNP: CB Denzel Ward (shoulder), RT Jack Conklin (ankle), OG Drew Forbes (personal), DE Myles Garrett (rest), DE Isiah Thomas (foot); LIMITED: WR Amari Cooper (rest/hip), RB D’Ernest Johnson (shoulder)
Up next – Final practice of the season Friday.