Category: 2024 season Week 14 – Steelers vs Browns

NFL analyst breaks down Pittsburgh Steelers elite Week 14 pass rush

Brian Baldinger, best known for his ‘Baldy’s Breakdowns’, highlighted how intense the Steelers pass rush was against the Browns in Week 14.

Fans of the old-school style of great Pittsburgh Steelers defenses have surely enjoyed the 2024 season so far. The team boasts one of the most elite defensive lines in the NFL, featuring several of the league’s top defenders, including T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Cam Heyward, to name a few.

Brian Baldinger, an NFL analyst, highlighted a play that showcased what all four of these players are capable of when on the field together.

Baldinger’s description of the four Steelers defenders perfectly captures their impact, as these elite players consistently hunt down opposing quarterbacks come game time.

While there was much debate about how the Pittsburgh Steelers should utilize OLBs Highsmith, Watt, and Herbig together, Week 14 proved that the defense is at its best when all three are available.

The Black and Gold will need these defenders at their peak when they head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 15, on December 15 at 4:25 PM EST.

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Is the ‘Justin Fields package’ experiment over after Week 14 absence?

After Justin Fields’ absence in Week 14, questions arise about the future his rushing package and whether it was overused by Arthur Smith.

Oh, what a difference a week makes. It appears Pittsburgh Steelers OC Arthur Smith and HC Mike Tomlin were tired of explaining their strange decision-making regarding when to utilize QB Justin Fields’ mobility over QB Russell Wilson’s arm, as Fields played zero snaps in Week 14.

Inconsistency and poor execution are the only fitting descriptions for the ‘Fields rushing package.’ It seemed that the plays were either creating huge scoring opportunities or game-changing scenarios for the Black and Gold, or were costing Pittsburgh the contests entirely—there is seemingly no middle ground.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense did look stagnant in terms of yardage in the Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, but the ball security and scoring prowess under Wilson’s leadership made up for it.

While it’s highly unlikely we’ve seen the last of the ‘Fields package,’ an argument can be made that Smith was incorporating it too heavily into every offensive gameplan since its debut in Week 11, instead of treating it as a last-resort gadget play, or red zone tool from week to week.

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WATCH: Steelers NT Keeanu Benton snatches miraculous INT in Week 14

Pittsburgh Steelers NT Keeanu Benton amazes with a highlight-reel interception in Week 14, turning the tide against the Cleveland Browns.

Nose tackle Keeanu Benton’s talent has truly come to form in year two of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. From showcasing his incredible leadership abilities on HBO’s brand-new Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North to blowing up run plays on gameday, Benton has been nothing short of remarkable in 2024.

Trailing the Cleveland Browns 7-3 at the start of the second quarter, the Steelers needed a splash play—and big Keeanu made it happen. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston tried to let a screen play develop for running back Nick Chubb, but Benton channeled his inner defensive back, leaping several feet into the air to intercept the pass.

Benton’s extraordinary effort on the interception is a play that Pittsburgh Steelers fans could watch on repeat for years to come. The young nose tackle truly shifted the momentum in the Black and Gold’s favor, and the team’s victory might not have been possible without his elite level of play in Week 14.

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Russell Wilson offers ultimate praise of his head coach

Russell Wilson called Mike Tomlin the best coach in the NFL.

When it is all said and done, there’s a real chance Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’s played for some of the best coaches in the NFL and has put together an incredible resume. After two tumultuous seasons with the Denver Broncos, Wilson has come to Pittsburgh and resurrected his career.

A big reason for that has been the support of head coach Mike Tomlin. Wilson spoke to the media after Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns and offered high praise of Tomlin calling him not only the best head coach in the NFL but in all of sports.

 

The Steelers currently sit at 10-3 and hold a two-game lead in the AFC North. Wilson has brought new life to the Steelers offense and made Pittsburgh a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

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Steelers TE sheds light on mysterious George Pickens Week 14 situation

Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth shares how he learned of WR George Pickens’ puzzling Week 14 absence, raising more questions.

Following the Steelers’ Week 14 victory, more details surrounding head coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to sit wide receiver George Pickens are beginning to emerge, starting with the moment Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth found out about the situation.

ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor wrote an interesting article highlighting the moment Freiermuth discovered his team would be without their best playmaker on offense, which actually left more questions than answers regarding Pickens’ availability in Week 14.

Pickens popped up on Friday’s injury report as limited with a hamstring injury. However, it was expected that Pickens would be healthy enough to play, and his inactive designation surprised everyone—including Freiermuth, who reportedly found out through the most unlikely of all sources: his father.

Luckily for Tomlin and his strange decision to make Pickens inactive, the Steelers’ offense managed to score 27 points on the Cleveland Browns’ defense. Gameday roster decisions are likely above Freiermuth’s pay grade, but providing the offense with details surrounding the team’s star player should have been on Tomlin’s checklist for the day.

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Myles Garrett offers challenge to Steelers fans for next season

Myles Garrett is already thinking about next season.

For most of Sunday’s game, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was kept in check by the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was a huge factor in the Steelers beating the Browns 27-14. But late in the game, when the outcome was all-but secured, Garrett got a garbage sack of Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson and proceeded to try and shush the Steelers faithful.

The move obviously backfired and instead initiated a massive “Cleveland sucks!” chant in Acrisure Stadium. Garrett was asked after the game about it and he offered up a challenge to Steeler Nation for next season, hoping they bring that same energy when they come to Cleveland next year.

 

I suppose Garrett can start thinking about next season with his Browns 3-10 and officially eliminated from playoff contention.

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Fans react to Steelers eliminating Browns from playoff contention

The Steelers eliminated the Browns from playoff contention, sparking reactions from fans celebrating Cleveland’s 2024 downfall.

Sorry, Cleveland, but the Browns have officially been eliminated from the 2024 playoff picture, all thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This bitter rivalry in 2024 had nothing short of a storybook ending for the Black and Gold, and a nightmarish continuation of mediocrity for the Cleveland Browns.

Despite spending an enormous payroll in 2024, “Cleveland sucks” chants rang out throughout the Week 14 contest, ultimately foreshadowing the Browns’ demise as the team dropped to 3-10 on the season.

Browns DE Myles Garrett and CB Greg Newsome II had plenty to say following their team’s Week 12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it is the Steel City that got the last laugh.

With Browns fans making arrangements to watch other NFL teams compete in the playoffs come January, Steelers fans were having a blast on social media with the news. Here are some of the best reactions from Steelers fans to the Cleveland Browns being eliminated from the 2024 playoff picture.

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Mike Tomlin clarifies deactivating George Pickens

Mike Tomlin praised the play of Scotty Miller in place of George Pickens.

Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media after the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-14 win over the Cleveland Browns. He wanted to be clear on the situation surrounding his choice to deactivate wide receiver George Pickens and replace him on the active roster with Scotty Miller on Sunday.

Pickens showed up on the injury report on Friday with a hamstring injury and was originally listed as questionable. Rumor was that Pickens would go but Tomlin opted to not play Pickens and thankfully things worked out.

According to Tomlin, he chose to deactivate Pickens because he didn’t want a small problem to turn into a big problem and he didn’t feel like Pickens could give them enough snaps to make it worth putting him in uniform. Tomlin also praised the play of Miller in his absence.

The Steelers offense slowed down without Pickens in the lineup and leaned heavily on the run game and turned things over to the defense and special teams to do most of the heavy lifting.

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Steelers gut out huge win over Browns

The Steelers used all three phases to get the win over the Browns.

When it comes to the AFC North, records don’t mean much. Two weeks ago the Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and this week the Steelers got some payback at home. With the 27-14, the Steelers improve to 10-3 and take a two-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.

The Steelers offense was forced to adjust on the fly when wide receiver George Pickens was a surprise inactive. This put the offense in the hands of the run game and both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren delivered. The two combined for 100 rushing yards with quarterback Russell Wilson chipping in 17 of his own.

Defensively, the Steelers cranked things up and didn’t allow Browns quarterback Jameis Winston to pick them apart like they did in the last matchup. The Steelers defense picked off Winston twice and sacked Winston three times. In total, the Steelers had three takeaways and lead the league in that category.

Now the Steelers have to prepare themselves for a brutal three-game stretch in just 10 days. First up Pittsburgh travels across the state to take on the 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles.

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Steelers WR George Pickens inactive vs Browns

The Steelers will be without their top receiver on Sunday against the Browns.

In a shocking turn of events, it is being reported by ESPN that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is inactive for today’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Pickens showed up on the injury report on Friday with a hamstring injury.

With Pickens out, the Steelers lose their top deep threat and top receiving option for quarterback Russell Wilson. Look for the Steelers to use more of the short passing game and checkdowns we saw last week against the Cincinnati Bengals as well as lean on the run game heavily.

The conspiracy theorist in us has to wonder if this injury is really bad enough to make Pickens inactive or is this a move by Tomlin to either punish Pickens for his recent problems on the field or if this is a case of saving him from himself and shield the team from potential problems in such a big game.

But the most logical reason is Tomlin is just being overly cautious with Pickens injury considering the stretch of three games in 10 days coming up on the schedule.

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