The Steelers' passing game may have the stars, but its running game has been bolstered by a punishing offensive line that beat the Browns into submission. That beating provides a blueprint for what we might see several more times this season.
Let's dig deep ...
TWO-MINUTE DRILL
• Where scheme beat team: That blueprint saw a major turnaround on the ground. Conner only had 33 yards on ten carries in the first half, but exploded for 113 yards on 14 carries in the second. The Steelers mixed both power run schemes with zone runs to give Conner clear lanes to run.
Watch how Alejandro Villanueva walls off Myles Garrett, while Ramon Foster chips off the defensive tackle with Maurkice Pouncey to go to the second level and ensure the linebacker cannot get to Conner:
Those kinds of zone runs were a staple of the Steelers' offense for years, but hadn't been used much with Conner in 2018. Look at what kind of challenge it presents for Christian Kirksey in the middle of the defense. He has to guess where Conner will go, and when he guesses wrong, Foster just stays in his spot and keeps him from the play.
The Steelers won those battles plenty of times. Just look at how Foster, Villanueva and even Jesse James and JuJu Smith-Schuster are able to collapse the Browns' front to the inside, leaving just Garrett and Derrick Kindred to deal with. David DeCastro pulls to trap Garrett, leaving Conner to spin off Kindred and gain 30 yards:
The Steelers use those pulling linemen a lot to set the tone and open up space for Conner to run wild. When a lineman pulls, they get to build up momentum and really punish a defender, which can also take its toll on the defense. Garrett didn't see the trap in time by DeCastro, but when he did, he threw his whole body into taking out DeCastro to prevent being kicked out of the hole.
That's generally the idea to prevent the trap from working, but after a while, those kind of plays wear even good defensive players down. Watch how Garrett wanted no part of trying to take out DeCastro later in the fourth quarter when Conner sealed the game with his 22-yard touchdown:
You can see Garrett not give the same sort of effort in taking out DeCastro, all while James, Villanueva, Foster and Pouncey completely wall off their men to the right and Conner brushes off Jamie Collins easily for the score.
That's how you wear down a team and close out a game. If the Steelers can do that throughout 2018, the passing game will have fewer burdens and defenses will have to account for both styles of offense.
• All about the tackling: Missed tackles were a main problem of the Steelers in 2017, as Pro Football Focus revealed with their number-crunching on that team:
Last season, the #Steelers missed a tackle on 16.1% of run plays (31st in NFL).
They added sure tackling veterans this offseason in S Morgan Burnett and LB Jon Bostic, who ranked 1st and 8th respectively at their positions in tackling efficiency. https://t.co/R2sUJejvPY
— PFF PIT Steelers (@PFF_Steelers) July 19, 2018
Because of that, our commitment this season is to keep a close eye on this facet.
T.J. Watt led the Steelers in tackles and did miss two, but he found the ball enough to be a major contributor. He and Haden led the team with two missed tackles, but neither were in terrible spots and both contributed enough to overshadow their misses:
Note how both Vince Williams and Jon Bostic had the same amount of snaps, tackles and no misses. That shows consistency at inside linebacker, a major question of this team coming into the season.
• Top matchups: Each week we select three matchups vital to the outcome of the game, put them under a microscope, and flesh out the results.
• Myles Garrett vs. Alejandro Villanueva: This was the most recognizable advantage the Browns had, on paper, coming into this game. Myles Garrett is the Browns' best player and a handful of an edge rusher for Alejandro Villanueva. In their last meeting Garrett had two sacks, two forced fumbles with six tackles and a pass defended. This time, Garrett had one sack and that was it. And Villanueva got tripped by Ramon Foster on that play. The best I expected was for Villanueva to neutralize Garrett, but he dominated him. Advantage: Steelers.
• Ben Roethlisberger vs. Gregg Williams' blitzes: Early in the game it looked like Ben Roethlisberger was in for another long day against Gregg Williams' defense. But that all changed in the second quarter. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for 15 yards on a 3rd-and-11 early in the second quarter. Before that play, Roethlisberger had four completions on seven attempts for 12 yards, an interception and a sack. After that connection to Brown it all changed, and he saw the field much better. He didn't succumb to the pressures and made the throws to march the Steelers down the field and put the game away. Advantage: Steelers.
• Jarvis Landry vs. Steelers' cornerbacks: I didn't list a specific cornerback because the Browns love to move Jarvis Landry all over the field and force defenses to adjust with him. In their last matchup, Landry had seven catches for 106 yards. But the Steelers limited him to just eight catches on 12 targets for 39 yards. Advantage: Steelers.
Had a big play or a decent game 
Very impressive, multiple big plays
Elite performance
Gave up a big play without redemption 
Total performance was a disappointment
Horrible, inexcusable
QUARTERBACK: B+
The slow start was a bad sign, and his interception was reminiscent of his horrible game against the Browns in week one. But the turnaround made the difference in taking the lead.
Ben Roethlisberger:
The early mistakes seemed to be rushed efforts to get the ball out of his hands in anticipation of the Browns' blitzes. Once Roethlisberger got past that, he took what the Browns were giving him and mixed underneath reads with bigger passes when coverages were blown. Needs to start faster, but got it together in time.
RUNNING BACKS: A
When you have 242 all purpose yards as a running back group, that's a solid day. But the exclamation point was how James Conner continued his strong season by accounting for 212 of those yards.
James Conner:
Conner had 146 yards on the ground and looked confident once the Steelers went to running from their spread offense. His struggles early in the game seemed to come when the Steelers were using their heavy packages on offense and not opening up the rushing lanes. Once the Steelers started spreading the Browns out, they began to dominate. Conner capitalized on that and made plenty out of it with broken tackles when he got his chances against defenders in space.
Sure, there may come a day when the offensive line isn't completely dominating an opponent and Conner will have to make those plays happen on his own, but until then he's delivering what this team needs.
Stevan Ridley:
Had a couple good plays early, but his fumble stopped all the momentum the Steelers had coming out of halftime. He already had a slim hold over the second spot on the depth chart, and saw Jaylen Samuels take his spot in the second half. Though Samuels didn't have a particularly good or bad game, Ridley needs to show his value to this team if he hopes to keep a job.
OFFENSIVE LINE: A+
This Browns front historically has given the Steelers' offensive line fits, but not this week. As a unit they plowed a road for Conner and wore down the Browns' defense as the game continued. They added to that by only allowing Roethlisberger to be hit one time all game.
Alejandro Villanueva:
Give this man all the stars for physically dominating Garrett all game. He took the Browns' biggest weapon and made him a non-factor, outside of his one sack.
Maurkice Pouncey:
His command in the middle of the line is consistently great, but what put him over the top for this game was his control over the Browns' defensive tackles, Trevon Coley and Larry Ogunjobi. They combined for five tackles, but only one of them was for a loss and plenty of times they were sealed away from Conner at the point of attack.
David DeCastro:
If it seems repetitive, it's because he's consistently that good. But DeCastro has to earn an elite grade for his contributions in leading the way for Conner and for picking up the interior blitzes all game. He's a stud, and the more dominant Sundays he has, the more he pushes himself into the discussion with Alan Faneca as the greatest Steelers' guard.
Ramon Foster:
The guard opposite of DeCastro also had a big game, getting to pull and take out defensive ends and outside linebackers for Conner. He was also a big contributor in pass protection, stopping several interior blitzes dialed up by Williams and letting Roethlisberger enjoy a clean pocket.
Matt Feiler:
Early on I noticed some struggles, but he came into his own in the second half. He wasn't the dominating presence that Marcus Gilbert usually is, but he didn't draw any attention by committing costly mistakes.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: B+
The stats might not show it, but this group went to war with the Browns' secondary and won. Denzel Ward and company tried to get aggressive and intimidate them, but Antonio Brown and the receiving group won in both their routes and blocking.
Antonio Brown:
Consistently was open throughout the game and was the spark that finally got the offense going in the second quarter. As soon as Roethlisberger started going to Brown, the offense started to click, and much of that was because the Browns' defense had to start committing more help to stop Brown. But for anyone that says Brown doesn't fight hard when he doesn't get the ball, go back and look at Conner's first touchdown where he bullies Ward to the sideline and finishes the play.
He's still the best player on this team, and needs to be a focus in their campaign to repeat as division champions for a fourth time in five years.
Vance McDonald:
Solid blocking on the edge and continues to be a matchup problem in the middle of the field for defenses. Had a solid catch-and-truck early in the game that reminded everyone how hard he is to bring down. Three catches on three targets for 47 yards isn't a huge day, but he's become a dangerous weapon that defenses have to plan against.
JuJu Smith-Schuster:
Not his best day receiving as he only had four catches for 33 yards, but go back and watch him fight with defenders to block for Conner. Smith-Schuster seems to really enjoy blocking and setting the physical tone, and that was apparent in how he added to the physicality of this game. The Steelers need enforcers on offense against the bigger defenders in the NFL and he's part of that, while also being a dynamic receiver.
Ryan Switzer:
His lone target was an easy drop in the middle of the field. I normally don't include special teams play in my grading, but the gaffe between him and Roosevelt Nix on the free-kick recovery by the Browns was inexcusable. Nix at least had some solid blocks to recover, Switzer did not.
Justin Hunter:
Hunter had a chance to earn his keep as the third receiving option, but failed to establish it today. He did have a nice catch on an out route on the sideline, but he was unable to win a big jump ball and that's what he's on the roster to do. He needed to show why the Steelers don't need James Washington or Eli Rogers to come back and have a shot at his spot, and he did not.
DEFENSIVE LINE: B
After first half struggles, the defensive front seemed to gain control of the game after halftime, both on the ground and in containing Baker Mayfield.
Stephon Tuitt:
Tuitt not only led the team with seven tackles, but he got on the board with a major sack on Mayfield and helped set the tone against the run. The Browns had 61 yards rushing in the first half, and finished with only 74 for the whole game. Much of that was because of the defensive front controlling the line of scrimmage and allowing the Steelers' linebackers to flow to the ball. Add that to the pass rush that hit Mayfield seven times and forced several throwaways, and you have a solid game.
Cam Heyward:
Heyward didn't get much of a chance to be a supreme playmaker, but he did attract the double-teams that opened up opportunities for the rest of the defense. That's why I called Heyward and Tuitt battering rams last week, and they filled that role this week.
LINEBACKERS: B+
They've steadily progressed throughout the season and Keith Butler should like what he's seeing. After a rocky first half against the run, allowing Nick Chubb to go 52 yards on ten carries, they limited him to 13 yards on eight carries in the second half. Combine that with their work against Mayfield and they had a good day.
Jon Bostic:
Bostic is the inside linebacker that can both make the play and punch a hole for others by charging in and taking out blockers. Though he only had four tackles, he was often taking out pulling linemen to allow other players to cut behind him or force Chubb off his designed path.
T.J. Watt:
Led the team in tackles along with Tuitt with seven, and had the other sack on Mayfield. But it should also be noted how well he moved in his dropbacks when he wasn't rushing. Watch how Mayfield thought he had a target in the slot against Vince Williams, and how that backfired. Watt lined up in a strong rush stance, but immediately dropped back and took away the seam, forcing Mayfield to sail the pass high:
That added element of linebacker coverage makes the Steelers' defense less predictable and more dangerous.
Bud Dupree:
His constant abuse of Desmond Harrison on the edge was fun to watch. Dupree got to use his explosiveness to maximize space and get after Mayfield, as well as disrupt the Browns' backfield on run plays. Games like this are where the Steelers can get more out of his athleticism. He still doesn't show the handwork needed on the edge, but he was a decent contributor.
Vince Williams:
Looked solid against the run and helped against the pass. He's developing a good rapport with Bostic and the two are learning how to play off each other. He's also been decent in covering space and taking away the horizontal offensive plays that used to destroy the Steelers. Still looking for more contributions from him in the pass rush.
SECONDARY: A
When you take a player like Landry out of the game and limit a team to only one touchdown that wasn't in garbage time, you had a good day. They're not giving up big plays and they're providing the coverage that allows for the pressure to get home, like on Tuitt's sack.
Joe Haden:
Let's get the easy one out of the way, because Haden was the man on Sunday. Not only did he blanket everyone he had in coverage, but he had two tackles-for-loss and a pivotal interception that helped the Steelers take over the game. Haden is the premiere cornerback he was hired to be, and that's provided an extra element to this team.
Mike Hilton:
Hilton doesn't have the pedigree of a shutdown cornerback with years of NFL experience, but he's got the fire to compete all over the field. Two of his four tackles came as stops on third downs that ended drives.
Hilton takes away a lot of the smaller plays with his coverage that in recent years would torment the Steelers. Watch how sharply he breaks on this underneath route by Damion Ratley. He puts one hand around Ratley to help tackle if he missed the ball and put the other out to knock the ball down:
This play might not seem that important, but it's these kind of stops on 2nd-and-8 that lead to 3rd-and-long situations where the offense has to take more risks to get first downs. On the third down after this play, Mayfield took the risk that ended with Haden's interception.
Sean Davis:
Davis continues to be the solid protector against the deep ball by being in the right spots. His five tackles showed how he was also willing to come up and help, but the best part of his game has been his support on the back end.
Morgan Burnett:
Though he only had 23 snaps and didn't register on the stat sheet, his coverage on tight ends helped the Steelers limit that position to just six yards receiving.
Terrell Edmunds:
His three tackles helped, but he was just as instrumental in covering tight ends as Burnett. Plus, he played 62 snaps in the game and didn't look out of place all afternoon.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The Steelers' secondary had a big game, but they have to be ready for Joe Flacco and his deep passes with the Ravens. They will be tested again, and they cannot give up big plays like the 71-yard bomb and 33-yard touchdown given up to John Brown in week four.
The Steelers' offense struggled mightily against the Ravens at Heinz Field back then as well, so slow first quarter starts might not cut it this time around. Roethlisberger cannot afford to have the same misfires as before and has to hurt the Ravens around the field with his arm to soften up their defense and give the offensive line opportunities to work for Conner.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers vs. Browns, Heinz Field, Oct. 28, 2018 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS