Four Questions With The Depot Crew: Previewing Week 6 Steelers-Browns Matchup

Back from the bye week, and now it’s all about AFC North football for the next two weeks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Week 5 bye week was much-needed coming off of the international trip to Dublin, Ireland for the matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Fortunately, the Steelers took advantage of the trip, picking up a win on the Emerald Isle. After a week off, they welcome the weary Cleveland Browns to Acrisure Stadium after a trip to London of their own.

It’s been a tumultuous week for the Browns as veteran QB Joe Flacco and veteran cornerback Greg Newsome II were both traded this week, signaling a potential punt on the season as they start to play more young pieces. That could bode well for the Steelers this week, but anything can happen in AFC North action.

Following what we did last year here at Steelers Depot, myself, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, Scott Brown, Troy Montgomery, Jake Brockhoff and Dr. Melanie Friedlander will answer four key questions weekly, previewing the games.

Let’s talk about the Steelers’ Week 6 home matchup against the Browns coming out of the bye week.

QUESTION 1: WHO IS THE STEELERS’ X FACTOR AGAINST THE BROWNS?

Josh Carney: LT Broderick Jones. The matchup against Cleveland star Myles Garrett is a pivotal one. In 14 career games against the Steelers, Garrett has 13 career sacks. The Steelers will attempt to have a plan for Garrett this week, but a key factor in that plan is the play of Jones. He needs to be at his very best, and it has to be right away.

Joe Clark: DL Cam Heyward: Heyward is one of the best in the league when it comes to batting down passes. Against a shorter quarterback in Gabriel, that’s going to be key for the Steelers, and it could start with Heyward. He also has a tough matchup with Joel Bitonio this week, and if Heyward can win that, then it should go a long way toward the Steelers winning.

Ross McCorkle: OL Spencer Anderson. The Steelers said they like the jumbo package against 4-3 defenses, and that’s what they will face this weekend. But now it won’t catch anybody by surprise. There are strong hints at “wrinkles” in this formation for Anderson. Will he pull? Will he run a route? He should also be a key piece of containing Myles Garrett and keeping Aaron Rodgers upright.

Scott Brown: TE Pat Freiermuth. How is possible that in a supposed TE-friendly offense Freiermuth has been relegated to the back of a milk carton? The Steelers aren’t paying him $12 million a season for Matt Spaeth production so this is…puzzling. Freiermuth did have seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in two games against Cleveland last season.

Troy Montgomery: TE Darnell Washington. In Week 4, Washington made a big impact on the Steelers’ offense. He saw his role increase, and that helped the team’s run game play better. This week, they’ll need him to show up again, both in the run and pass game. Having Washington help block Myles Garrett would be nice.

Jake Brockhoff: WR DK Metcalf. He got a big statistical boost with his 80-yard catch and run touchdown against the Vikings, but aside from that his stats have been all over the place. He’s had Calvin Austin III as a big help at the position in recent weeks, but Austin is set to miss Sunday’s game. Against a talented Browns’ defense, Metcalf needs to play well and carry a depleted receiving core.

Dr. Melanie Friedlander: RB Jaylen Warren. Returning after missing one game with a knee injury, Warren will have his work cut out for him against the #2 rushing defense in the league. The Browns defense is allowing only 75.6 yards per game and 3 yards per attempt. We all know that the Steelers offensive line will have their hands full with Myles Garrett and the Browns pass rush. Pittsburgh needs a ground game to create some balance.

QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE MATCHUP TO WATCH IN STEELERS-BROWNS?

Josh Carney: DE Cameron Heyward vs. LG Joel Bitonio. This is a legendary matchup with the Steelers-Browns history over the last decade. These two are among the best at their position year after year in the league, and they clash twice a season. There’s a great deal of mutual respect here, too. These are two titans in the trenches. Who can make the biggest impact will go a long way towards determining the outcome.

Joe Clark: CB Joey Porter Jr. vs. WR Jerry Jeudy. With Jalen Ramsey out for Sunday, Porter will pick up the mantle of guarding the opposition’s top corner. It’s a role he wanted, but Porter has also missed the last three games. I think Jeudy benefited a lot from working with Jameis Winston last year, and that Porter should win this matchup. But if Jeudy gets the better of him, this game could wind up being quite close.

Ross McCorkle: OT Broderick Jones vs. DE Myles Garrett. This is the obvious one, but the most consequential. Garrett has been on a heater against the Steelers lately, and they can’t afford for that to happen to 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers. They should give Jones plenty of help, but he also needs to be a big part of the solution. Jones’ play has steadily improved game over game so far this year, but this is easily his biggest test.

Scott Brown: LB Payton Wilson vs. TE David Njoku. Wilson won’t exclusively cover Njoku but could be matched up against the sneaky-good tight end on weighty downs. Ten of Dillon Gabriel’s 19 completions in his NFL debut went to tight ends. So did both of his touchdowns, including one to Njoku. Taking away Njoku would go a long way toward the Steelers making Sunday an AFC North baptism by fire for Gabriel.

Troy Montgomery: OLB T.J. Watt vs. OT Jack Conklin. Watt and Conklin have had plenty of battles over the years. While Conklin has dealt with injury issues. he was healthy last year. In two games against the Browns, Watt was held without a sack. Watt’s cold streak against the Browns shouldn’t continue this week. Rattling rookie Dillon Gabriel should be near the top of his priority list.

Jake Brockhoff: CB Darius Slay vs. WR Isaiah Bond. Joey Porter Jr. is set to return this week, and he’ll likely spend a lot of time covering the Browns’ WR1, Jerry Jeudy. Jalen Ramsey may play, but whether he does or not, there’s a decent chance Slay will be matched up with Bond, the Browns’ second option at receiver. Bond has nine receptions for just 114 yards on the year, but he’s very explosive and can break a game open with a big play.

Dr. Melanie Friedlander: The Steelers defensive line versus Browns RB Quinshon Judkins. Through five games, the rookie running back has averaged 4.8 yards per carry with a long of 38 yards. Add another 6.9 yards per reception on nine catches to date, and it is clear that Judkins, drafted in the second round, is definitely a dual threat. He looked powerful and explosive against the Vikings last week, clocking another 30+ yard run. The Browns will need a run game to give their rookie quarterback a chance. The Steelers will need to shut down Judkins if they want to get their pass rush going.

QUESTION 3: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST KEY TO THE GAME FOR THE STEELERS?

Josh Carney: Mistake-free football. The Steelers are very clearly the better team, and the Browns are in significant disarray. It seems like the coaching staff isn’t on the same page with the front office, and the players are all bit confused, too, after the moves this week. They’re tired coming home from London, too. The Steelers need to play mistake-free football and not let the Browns hang around. Be all business in this one, and take care of it.

Joe Clark: Continue to run the football well. The Browns have a good defense, and they’ve defended the run well. Being able to assert themselves early and run the ball is going to open everything else up. Week 4 was a good performance, and the run game will get a boost with Jaylen Warren back. Take care of business on the ground and the Steelers should walk away with a win.

Ross McCorkle: Finish drives in the red zone. The Steelers have been better than usual at finishing red zone opportunities in the end zone. That will be even more important against this stout defense. Where are the Browns the most vulnerable? In the red zone, where they have allowed a league-worst 78.6 conversion touchdown percentage. They may not allow people in the red zone often, but it must end in seven when the Steelers get there.

Scott Brown: If a kickoff lands in your end zone fall on the damn ball. This is another — and slightly less nice (sorry, Kaleb Johnson) – way of saying don’t sabotage yourselves. You are the better team. You are at home. And you are rested. Make a 1-4 team that played in London last Sunday and has turned its offense over to a rookie QB beat you.

Troy Montgomery: Stop the run. The Browns’ offense isn’t good. However, Cleveland looks like they’ve got something in rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. Against the Steelers’ pass rush, the Browns likely won’t want to ask Dillon Gabriel to carry them. If the Steelers can limit Judkins, then they should be able to tee off on Gabriel. They should force the rookie quarterback to beat them.

Jake Brockhoff: Strong pass rush. The Steelers have been solid at keeping opposing running backs quiet on the ground. They held Jordan Mason to 57 yards in Week 4 and didn’t allow a single Patriots’ back to hit 30 yards in Week 3. They’ve been decent there, but they desperately need to get pressure on Dillon Gabriel. He has plenty of young pass catchers at his disposal and is much more experienced than most rookie quarterbacks. If he has too much time, he may make the Steelers pay

Dr. Melanie Friedlander: Move the chains. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will need to get the ball out fast to avoid pressures, hits and sacks. That means shorter passes and he won’t have a lot of deep shots downfield. The Steelers have yet to control the time of possession. The offense needs to develop some rhythm and work their way down the field. If they can’t count on explosive plays, they need to focus on earning first downs.

QUESTION 4: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR STEELERS VS. BROWNS?

Josh Carney: Yes, the Steelers are the better team. It’s not a debate. But in the last decade or so under Mike Tomlin, these types of games always end up being way too close for comfort and rather sloppy. That said, coming out of the bye week, the Steelers are usually sharp. They’ve won seven straight post-bye under Tomlin. Make it eight this week. Steelers 23, Browns 13

Joe Clark: I think the Steelers are the better team and will be fine. I do think that the Browns will make it a little closer than it should be, though. But the Steelers will be ready after the bye and hungry for their first home win of the year. Steelers 26 Browns 17

Ross McCorkle: The youth movement can provide juice to a team, as we are seeing with the New York Giants. But how will they deal with the Steelers’ Bronco package and keeping Dillon Gabriel on schedule? And how is their secondary going to react to losing one of its leaders via trade? Pittsburgh gets its cleanest win of the season at home. Steelers 24, Browns 13.

Scott Brown: This one scares the hell out of me. Every time all signs point to the Steelers winning – and maybe handily — they lay an egg the size of Yahya Black’s belly. At least it seems that way. The home team wins but doesn’t cover. Steelers 24, Browns 20

Troy Montgomery: The Browns haven’t beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh in the regular season since 2003. While the Browns have done a better job against the Steelers in recent years, I don’t think they’re going to break that streak this week. The Browns’ defense is probably going to give the Steelers’ offense some fits, but I don’t believe Cleveland’s offense will be able to do enough to win them the game. Steelers 20, Browns 16

Jake Brockhoff: This is a game the Steelers will win, but not comfortably. The Browns play strong defensively, and have some talented young players offensively. This smells like a trap game, but the Browns just don’t beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Steelers 17, Browns 16

Dr. Melanie Friedlander: The Browns have not scored more than 17 points yet this season, and it is unlikely that quarterback Dillon Gabriel will have a high scoring day against an almost completely healthy Steelers defense. On the flip side, the Steelers will be facing an impressive defense and this could come down to a field goal. It wouldn’t be a Pittsburgh divisional game if they built an early lead and then cruised to a win, right? Steelers 20, Browns 17