CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns did not have much time to recover and prepare for a key AFC North Division battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on “Thursday Night Football” this week.
Following a hard-fought 19-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills at home Sunday, the coaching staff immediately went to work on film study of the Steelers and formulated a game plan, which the players had just three days to absorb ahead of the Steelers game.
“It is obviously a quick turnaround,” linebacker Joe Schobert said. “I think a lot depends on how your body comes out the week before. Mentally, everybody has to get a quick jumpstart on the next week and it is a huge crunch, kind of like studying and planning finals in college.
“You just have to get after it and make sure you are taking care of your body -- cold tub and getting every recovery aspect that you can, both here and when you are at home.”
Here are three things to watch for when the Browns play only their second AFC North Division game this season.
Hungry mindset
The Browns have one of the easiest second-half schedules in the National Football League this season, but they did themselves no favors over the first eight games, as the AFC North Division upstarts began the year with a 2-6 record.
However, the Browns kicked off the second half of the season with a hard-fought victory over the Bills, and are looking to continue building in a positive direction, and remain undefeated in AFC North Division play when they host the Steelers.
“Everything’s at stake, man, everything’s at stake,” defensive back T.J. Carrie said. “When you’re playing on this stage, every game is critical.
“It’s been a minute, and so, from that standpoint, it’s going to be huge for us to continue to put another one, lay another brick in the foundation. We can’t be a team, at this point now, to win one, lose one, win one, lose one. We have to try to put a stretch together, and I think that’s the main focus, continuing to stay 1-0 this week.”
Guessing game in backfield
When the Browns signed running back Kareem Hunt during the offseason, they knew when he returned from a league-mandated suspension, the Pro Bowl rusher was going to be a nice complement to second-year star Nick Chubb.
In the win over Buffalo, the Browns got their first look at the Hunt-Chubb tandem, and the results were impressive, as they rushed for 147 yards on 26 carries.
With Hunt leading the way and distracting the defense coupled with hard running from Chubb, the Browns’ top back gained 116 yards.
Hunt got only four carries, but turned them into 30 yards and a game-high 7.5 yards-per-rush average. Additionally, Hunt caught seven of the nine passes quarterback Baker Mayfield threw his way and turned those receptions into 44 yards.
“I feel like there is a lot more to go,” Hunt said. “We have to build off that, get our bodies together and get ready to go back out there and compete hard again on Thursday night.”
Chubb added, “We still can change things up, kind of make plays off of what we’re doing right now, sort of mess with guys’ eyes. I think if we keep it going and do a lot of things great, I’m not sure, but I think it’ll be really good for us.”
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Handling T.J. Watt
The Steelers have long been known for selecting and honing the skills of the top defensive players in college football, and for decades, they have reaped the benefits that labor, especially in 2019 with linebacker T.J. Watt.
Now in his third year with the Steelers out of the University of Wisconsin, Watt has registered 31 total tackles, including 20 solo stops and 11 assists, with a team-leading 9.5 sacks for 69 lost yards and eight tackles for loss.
Additionally, Watt has 22 quarterback hits, one interception, three passes defended, four forced fumbles and three recoveries this season.
“He’s one of those elusive dudes that uses his hands well,” said Browns right tackle Chris Hubbard, who expects to see a lot of Watt on his side of the line. “He’s always playing at a high level. He’s a smart guy, too. He’s one of those guys you can’t slack on. You have to get your hands on him and take care of business after that.
“He’s the best one I’ll probably face this year. I guarantee you that. Him and Von (Miller) were probably the two guys that’s up there for me. He can go speed to power in a flash, and he’s flashy with his hands.”