Jacoby Brissett is no Deshaun Watson.
Even with a win-or-go-home scenario for the Steelers this coming Sunday against the Browns, there are still new discoveries and things to learn about interdivisional opponents. That extends into the final week of the regular season, which will present a first-time challenge for this Steelers defense.
Watson is fully back as the Browns' quarterback and will oppose the Steelers for the first time in that role, after missing the first go-round in Week 3 because of his suspension from sexual harassment allegations. Watson is no stranger to the Steelers in totality from his days in Houston, but there is still a sense of an unfamiliarity from how he operates within the Browns offense and with their skill players.
"He's got a skillset," Teryl Austin said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "There's a reason he was picked when he was and performed the way he has. You're looking at a guy that had a top-notch skillset, and not to compare him to anybody else, but I'll just talk about him and how he is. We know what kind of skillset he has. We've seen him around here before. He can make all the throws, he can run, he can do it all. We'll have our work cut out for us this week."
Watson will suit up against the Steelers for the second time in his career. The only other occurrence was Sept. 27, 2020, in which Watson completed 19 of 27 passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Steelers beat the Texans 28-21. Houston scored all 21 of its points in the first half, though, and the Steelers' defense clamped down to limit the Texans to four punts and Watson's interception in their second-half drives.
That Texans team, though, did not have the same caliber of weapons as this year's Browns do. Houston's leading receiver that day was Randall Cobb, who just does not sport the same tools that Cleveland's No. 1 Amari Cooper does. Their leading rusher that day was David Johnson, who was stuffed to just 23 yards on 13 carries in that game.
Watson also has a clearly better running game to support him in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the former of which is second in the NFL in rushing with 1,448 yards.
"They are two-headed monsters, tough as any backfield in the NFL," Robert Spillane said. "I have a personal relationship with those guys and I went up against Kareem Hunt through his college career (when he was) at Toledo. Nick Chubb being one of the best backs in the league, his production speaks for itself. It'll be a challenge. I'm looking forward to it."
The Steelers will also be looking forward to much of what they have seen over the previous few weeks, in mobile quarterbacks which can extend plays and scramble. Cleveland has played five games with Watson at quarterback. Over its last three, it has attempted running plays at a 52.7% rate, the fifth-highest in the NFL.
Over that same three-game stretch, in which the Steelers have faced the Panthers, Raiders, and Ravens, a similar approach has been taken. Carolina has attempted running plays at a 47.9% rate over its last three games, and the Ravens ran the ball 56% of the time against the Steelers a week ago, which was the fourth-highest in the league in Week 17.
"Each game is totally different in their complexions and the makeup," Spillane said. "This being the last week of the regular season, we have an idea of what they want to do offensively, and it's not the same as other teams, so we got a game plan that we're working on this week, and I think we've done a great job and understanding that game plan so far."
Brissett completed 21 of 31 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns and added three carries for 11 rushing yards in the teams' first meeting on Sept. 22. Chubb rushed 23 times for 113 yards and a touchdown, and Cooper caught seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Tight end David Njoku added 89 yards and a touchdown on a team-high nine catches.
But the Browns were eliminated from playoff contention with their loss to the Saints two weeks ago, and do not have any big-picture stakes to play for this time around.
Other than spoiling a potential playoff berth for the Steelers.
“Just another opportunity for us to go out there and win a game, especially a big divisional game," Watson told reporters in Berea, Ohio, on Thursday. "Just like last week, the Commanders had something to prove and they were trying to get into the playoffs. That is the same thing Pittsburgh is trying to do. We respect them. We respect all three phases – special teams, defense, and offense. We are going into a hostile environment where we have to go out there and compete because they want to go to the playoffs, and we want to win the game. That is our opportunity, and that is our mindset.”
Watson rushed a season-high eight times for 31 yards last week in the Browns' 24-10 win at Washington, which could be a clearer indication that he is beginning to settle into Kevin Stefanski's offense and is growing increasingly comfortable with making plays on the run.
And, even with the Browns eliminated from playoff contention and playing with the cliched "house money," the expectation from Austin is for them to stick to what they know best.
"I think they're going to go into the game just like we do," Austin said. "This is an AFC North game. We know how competitive these games are. They know us, we know them, and really I'm sure they're going to do the things that they can to win the game like we are. I don't think there's any 'because we're not in the playoffs, we're going to do something different.' They're going to try to win the game just like we are."
MORE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE
• Rookie and seventh-round draft pick Mark Robinson has emerged across the Steelers' linebacking corps over this late stretch of the season, and especially while filling in as a starter for Myles Jack last week against the Ravens. Robinson played half of the defensive snaps, in which he tallied seven tackles in Baltimore.
"In the evaluation process when he came up, we watched him, we knew he was basically a one-year player," Austin said. "You follow his backstory, and then you watched how he played, and you go, 'OK, you like that kid. He's got some intangible stuff that you like.' And then when you get him here and you're really like, 'he's wide-eyed, always ready, ready to go,' and then you get to camp and you put the pads on, and that's when you really started to like him. ... You saw that he had an appetite for contact and an appetite for the game."
Spillane noted Robinson's growth throughout the season as a testament to Robinson's willingness to get better.
"I love Mark Rob," he said. "From Day 1 when he got in here all he wanted to do was learn and get better, and I got a lot of respect for guys like that. I've tried to help him along his process, and I thought he did a great job in his last big performance."
• Devin Bush played in just five snaps last week against the Ravens, and Austin commended him for how he handled the situation.
"Devin's a pro," Austin said. "Nobody likes to be in or out, not in there as much as they're used to be. But he handled it like a true pro. We're going to need Devin to play, depending on what package we're in. That was pretty specific last week, what we were doing with Baltimore, and I would expect that you'd probably see Devin probably a little bit more this week."