DB’s Steelers Dudes & Duds: Patterson Drops Ball, Hello, Highsmith!
With gold end zones and 66,000 fans in attendance, the Pittsburgh Steelers got their revenge on the Cleveland Browns and continued their dominance at home against their AFC North rival.
Unlike last time, Mike Tomlin’s crew was able to keep Myles Garrett in check and found their footing offensively in the second half. The defense took advantage of Jameis Winston’s propensity for turnover-worthy plays and that was enough for them to come away victorious and hold on to the third seed in the AFC playoff race.
Let’s take a look at some of the more notable performances from this contest.
Dude: EDGE Alex Highsmith
It felt like Browns quarterback Jameis Winston was never fully comfortable in the pocket and I think Alex Highsmith deserves a lot of credit for creating that discomfort. In his first game back from another injury setback, the Charlotte product had a tasty matchup on paper and delivered another strong performance with five pressures, a sack and two tackles for loss. Even as the game wore on and the pocket was relatively clean, Winston had happy feet, perhaps from some of the early heat that was generated from his blind side. Highsmith continues to produce at a high level when he’s on the field. Now, it’s just about staying healthy.
Dud: RB Cordarrelle Patterson
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith continues to try to work Cordarrelle Patterson into the running back rotation but with very little return on investment. The converted wideout garnered five touches today that went for a grand total of a yard. To make matters worse, he fumbled in the second half as the offense was trying to play stall ball and bleed out the clock. Since his return from injury, there have been a couple instances where it feels like they’re forcing the ball to him on offense and even though they don’t have a ton of dynamic playmakers, Smith has two very capable backs at his disposal to where this just isn’t necessary.
Dude: DE Cam Heyward
Because of injuries, the depth of the defensive line was tested today but their captain delivered yet again. Cam Heyward notched two more sacks on the afternoon, bringing his season-long total to eight. For whatever reason, he’s not generating any Defensive Player of the Year buzz despite being their most consistently productive player on either side of the ball in 2024. His ability to command the line of scrimmage and impact the games on a weekly basis both as a rusher and run defender have been a key reason they’re atop the AFC North standings.
Dude: TE Pat Freiermuth
The passing game got off to an expectedly slow start without George Pickens in this one but to their credit, they patched things together as the game wore on partially because of Pat Freiermuth getting more involved. His first reception came on a third and ten where he found the soft spot in zone coverage, making himself available for Russell Wilson as he stepped up and out of the pocket. They connected again on the very next drive, this time on a seam route up the middle for a touchdown strike. He hasn’t been as continuously involved as I anticipated but good things happen when the ball is thrown his direction.
Dud: Scramble Drill Defense
Overall, the defensive performance was more than solid as the Steelers held the Browns to 14 points and a measly 4.3 yards per play. The one area that has become a little worrisome in both of these matchups has been their inability to contain Winston as he escaped the pocket. The best example of this came on Cleveland’s first score of the game as the quarterback rolled left but no one attached to Jerry Jeudy who was streaking down the field for a touchdown. When they did keep him in the pocket, the results were very good, at least.
Dude: RB Jaylen Warren
Starting tailback Najee Harris certainly had some strong moments in this one, especially early on, but Jaylen Warren was a nice spark off the bench for an offense that desperately needed a boost after a slow start. He finished with nine carries for 47 yards and chipped a couple of positive plays as a checkdown option underneath. If there’s one thing that you can always count on with him, it’s that he’s going to get downhill with swiftness and run extremely hard through the hole. There were times where it looked like defenders weren’t all that keen on tackling him and who could blame them?
Dud: Kick Return Coverage
In totality, the Steelers had the advantage on special teams today but they did allow another big kickoff return this week. Jerome Ford broke one for 57 yards to open the second half but fortunately, the defense held as the Browns would miss a field goal shortly after. It’s just one play but it’s worth mentioning considering they gave up a big return in last weeks game as well, making it a bit of a trend.
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