Facing a team as familiar as the Cleveland Browns, there are few secrets. Even with the Browns’ new faces who litter the roster, a rookie class impacting them more than any other team, Mike Tomlin’s goal for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense is clear. During his weekly Mike Tomlin show, he outlined the top goal.
“For us, defensively, we can’t allow their run game to keep them on schedule,” Tomlin told host Bob Pompeani via the team website. “We gotta do a great job of minimizing [Quinshon] Judkins and others. They’ll do everything in their power to stay on schedule, to not end up behind the chains. And so that’s a major component of it. If we end up in a bunch of 3rd and 1s and 3rd and 2s, the game is moving in a direction that they like.”
Struggling to find a running game last season, the Browns are back on track with Judkins. A second-round pick who didn’t sign his rookie deal until the day before the regular season after a series of off-field and contract disputes, Judkins took the field in Week 2 and hasn’t looked back. A powerful and explosive runner drawing loose comparisons to Nick Chubb, he’s improved each week. In Week 5, Judkins recorded his first 100-yard performance, posting 110 yards in a narrow loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
After a poor start, Pittsburgh’s run defense has tightened up in recent weeks. That must continue through the team’s next two divisional games.
Staying on schedule is precisely what the Browns want to do with a quarterback like Dillon Gabriel making his second-career start. The closer to the first down marker, the more Gabriel can get the ball out quickly and not risk making mistakes against a splash-happy Steelers defense.
“Very rarely do you have opportunity for splash defensively,” Tomlin said when defenses can’t stop the run. “The turnovers that really define good performance.”
Pittsburgh has surfed the turnover wave in its last two games. Seven combined takeaways in wins over the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings, plays that were vital to victory. Though there’s an obvious correlation between takeaways and winning, it’s even stronger under Tomlin. Here’s the Steelers’ winning percentage based on takeaways.
Winning Percentage, Mike Tomlin Era (2007-Present)
Zero Takeaways: .307
One Takeaway: .622
Two Or More Takeaways: .800
With such a young roster, the Browns might seem ripe for the picking. But under Gabriel last week, Cleveland didn’t turn the ball over once for the first time since Week 11 of last season.
Stop the run. Create splash. The Steelers’ goals are clear. But it must be followed by good execution to make Tomlin’s words a reality.
