Browns: 3 keys to victory over the Steelers in the rematch
By Chad Porto
Blitz all night
With Ben Roethlisberger resting against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the black and gold will start back up Mason Rudolph in his stead. Rudolph has a history with the Browns, and we don’t need to go into that here. We all are familiar with the Rudolph/Myles Garrett attack from last year. While it’s a great thing that both Garrett and Rudolph are willing to put it to rest, it should be noted that the Browns are going to have to hit him a lot on Sunday, so maybe the peace summit will have to wait until February.
Getting after Rudolph is going to be a must and that means someone other than Garrett is going to have to step up to defeat the Steelers. Whether it’s Joe Wood’s infamous corner blitz or if the team actually blitzes a linebacker, someone is going to have to get depth on the Steelers defensive line. Relying on Olivier Vernon isn’t going to be possible, as he’s as inconsistent as they come. Seven of his eight sacks came in just three games. From week to week he’s an unknowable factor.
No one besides Garrett has shown any real consistency getting pressure and even he at times is a non-factor. Plus now that he’s dealing with lung damage from battling COVID-19, his play has fallen off even more. While there’s no one behind him that can replace his skills, you still have to think that resting him may help him heal faster.
Either way, someone not named Garrett needs to get to Rudolph.
dark. Next. Browns: 3 players who need to step up against the Steelers in their rematch