At this point in the season, it’s pretty clear just what the Pittsburgh Steelers want to be offensively—a smash-mouth football team that wants to punish opponents physically. The pairing of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren certainly helps the Steelers play that style of football. And they will look to impose their will on the Browns this weekend.
Knowing who the Steelers have in the backfield and the style of play they like, Cleveland Browns’ linebacker Jordan Hicks said Sunday’s Week 14 matchup against the Steelers is a game in which the Browns are going to have to “buckle up” and be prepared for, especially on a short week.
“Yeah, I mean, they’re physical and physical, right? They’re both downhill. They’re both strong, strong backs,” Hicks said of the Steelers’ running back duo, according to video via the Browns’ Twitter page. “They are a run-first offense, right? They like to hand those guys the ball.
“And so, for us, obviously, it’s a challenge every week, but going against these guys, it’s a different mentality. You gotta buckle up.”
Sunday’s matchup against the Steelers will definitely be a buckle-the-chinstraps type of game, especially after what happened the last time the two teams met on Thursday Night Football in Week 12 in Cleveland. That night, the Browns knocked off the Steelers in surprising fashion in the snow, beating Pittsburgh at its own game, causing the Steelers to get frustrated and make some uncharacteristic mistakes.
That loss angered the Steelers, and now there’s a real emphasis on them taking care of business against the Browns, including physically beating them up. They can do that by leaning on Harris and Warren in the run game, not to mention Cordarrelle Patterson.
On the year, the Steelers are ninth in rushing yards per game with 137.1, just behind Tampa Bay at 137.2. With Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, the Steelers run game has improved. It certainly helped to have Russell Wilson under center to keep teams honest down the field in the passing game, lightening the box for the run game.
Harris and Warren are the ideal “Thunder and Lightning” pairing. When they’re rolling like they have been in recent weeks, the Steelers are very hard to stop. Just two weeks ago, the Browns had success limiting Warren and Harris, keeping the pairing to just 86 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, which was good for just 3.18 yards per carry.
Not a great number. The weather might have played a bit of a factor. On Sunday in Pittsburgh, though, that might not be a factor. That has Hicks preparing his teammates to be buckled up and ready to go against two running backs that can take over a game.
