T.J. Watt picked up three sacks in Sunday’s opener, tying him with James Harrison for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ all-time sack record. Odds are high he’ll break that mark in next Monday night’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns. As feared yesterday and confirmed today, Browns RT Jack Conklin suffered a serious knee in yesterday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Conklin suffered a torn ACL and MCL, ending his season.
The Browns will turn to rookie Dawand Jones to replace Conklin. Jones, a fourth-round pick out of Ohio State, is a mountain of a man who weighed in the 370-pound range throughout the pre-draft process and refused to step on the scale during his Pro Day. Concerns over his weight and work ethic dropped him in the draft but Jones is a talented player with basketball feet and long arms that measure in at over 36 inches.
Cleveland drafted him and kept him home. So far, the returns have been promising. Jones had a solid summer and reportedly got his weight down. In August, he told reporters his weight was at 364 pounds. Jones saw his first NFL action filling on for Conklin yesterday and held his own as the Browns dominated the Cincinnati Bengals in a 24-3 victory.
But he’ll face a tougher task this week in Watt. Coming off a three-sack game, Watt is picking up where he left off a year ago when he dominated the Bengals in the 2022 regular-season opener. The only difference, of course, is Watt left yesterday’s game without an injury (except perhaps his and this defense’s pride being hurt).
The last time Watt faced a Browns’ rookie right tackle came in 2021 when he schooled Cleveland’s James Hudson in a four-sack performance as Pittsburgh beat Cleveland 26-14. In fairness, Jones is a more talented player than Hudson and shouldn’t be taken lightly, despite his rookie status. Still, Watt is clearly in another favorable matchup and has the bend and flexibility to dip under Jones. It could be another big day for him.
The Steelers will need it as they look to right the ship though as yesterday’s results indicate, a good day from Watt alone isn’t enough to get the job down. Cleveland will look to counter with a steady dose of Nick Chubb and the run game. If Pittsburgh doesn’t improve and if DL Cam Heyward doesn’t play, that could be the Browns’ best plan to help Jones and quiet Watt.
