Baker Mayfield had one of his best games of the season last week, but the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t lose any sleep over it.
We’ve all heard the Baker Mayfield “feeling pretty dangerous” sound byte. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense is likely feeling a similar way for Thursday night.
Pittsburgh comes into town on a four-game winning streak, with two of those wins coming against quite formidable opponents (Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams). While quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges have been fine in relief of injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the story of the season has been the Steelers’ defense.
Defensive coordinator Keith Butler’s unit currently ranks 10th in the NFL in points per game given up and 12th in yards surrendered per contest. Pittsburgh also leads the league in fumble recoveries (12) and is second in interceptions (14).
This ball-hawking style will pose a threat to Mayfield, who’s thrown 12 interceptions on the year.
With Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. lined up out wide and the newly-formed duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the backfield, Mayfield had one of his best games of the season last week against Buffalo. Although the game was a dogfight until the end, Mayfield tossed a pair of touchdowns and posted a season-best 102.7 passer rating.
Still, the former Oklahoma star will have his hands full despite possessing one of the best groups of weapons in the league. Mike Tomlin’s squad has a few studs as well.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is the most notable of all Steeler defenders. The do-it-all 22-year-old safety has shined since coming over in a trade from the Miami Dolphins in September. In his seven games with Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick has five interceptions, one fumble recovery a forced fumble. On top of that, he’s scored a touchdown in back-to-back weeks.
Taking care of the football is paramount in the NFL, especially for a turnover-prone player like Mayfield. Against Pittsburgh, that importance is amplified. At three games under .500, it’s go-time for the Browns. With a poor offensive line and a tendency to be careless, Freddie Kitchens’ quarterback has to be on his best behavior.
A loss would all but end their playoff hopes for good. The first full year of the Kitchens era has gone far worse than planned, as many anticipated Cleveland could push for the AFC North crown and play deep into January. Through nine games, the team has struggled on both sides of the ball and Mayfield has taken a gigantic step back in year two after taking the league by storm a season ago.
In addition to the season-ending injury to Roethlisberger, running back James Conner has also missed the team’s last two contests with a shoulder issue. He is slated to return on Thursday, adding serious punch to the Steelers’ offense. Pittsburgh would currently be the AFC’s sixth and final playoff team if the season ended now. Considering it started off the year with a 1-4 record, that’s not a bad position to be in.
At any rate, the pressure is on for Mayfield to bring his A-game against one of the league’s better defenses. A win could breathe new life into the Browns’ locker room and help right a ship that appeared to be heading way off course. It’s a tall task, though, as the Steelers are playing very sound football as of late.
A road victory for Pittsburgh against a division rival could be the ultimate boost to push this team squarely into playoff contention as the season approaches its final stretch.