As we’ve been doing for many years now, we break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual player standpoint. Like last year, Josh Carney and I will cover the opposing team’s offense. I will focus on the scheme, Josh on the players.
Today, our scouting report on the Cleveland Browns’ offense for Week 17’s game against Pittsburgh.
Alex’s Scheme Report
Browns’ Run Game
With rookie QB Quinshon Judkins’ unfortunate leg injury last week, the Browns’ backfield will look different. It will instead be led by “Rocket” Sanders and Trayveon Williams unless rookie Dylan Sampson is cleared from a hand injury. Last week, Sanders was first man off the bench with 11 carries for 42 yards. Williams had three for 17.
On the season, the Browns rank 28th in rushing yards per game and 29th at 3.9 YPC. Cleveland has 10 rushing scores this year. As a unit, it has 37 runs of 10 or more yards, tied-25th entering the week, with Judkins accounting for 18 of those.
Cleveland gets more than just its running backs involved in the run game. Receivers and even tight ends get the chance, too. On the year, WR Malachi Corley has 10 carries while rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. has seven. In last Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, Corley had three rushes, Fannin a rushing score, and WR Isaiah Bond had a run. Those are fly sweeps, often on early downs and to the field side.
From the conventional running game, inside zone/split zone is a common concept. As is Duo.
Some other offensive stats. Cleveland ranks a lowly 31st in points per game with 16.4, scoring more than 20 in just two of its last eight games. The Browns are 30th in total yards. Situationally, they are 29th on third down (33.3 percent) but a bit better in the red zone at 55.6 percent (21st). Cleveland has had difficulty protecting the football, turning it over 22 times this year. The Browns have a minus-6 turnover differential, 28th leaguewide.
Browns’ Pass Game
A different quarterback than last time, Pittsburgh will face rookie Shedeur Sanders. Sanders hasn’t taken the offense to new heights, but the passing game is more aggressive downfield than what the Steelers saw early in the season against Dillon Gabriel.
In Sanders’ five starts, the Browns are scoring 16.8 per game, just a bit higher than the seasonal average. The offense has been held under 300 total yards in four of his five starts.
As a team, the Browns rank last with 5.5 YPA, 57.5 percent completion rate, and are one of two teams to have more interceptions (16) than touchdown passes (15). Sanders has completed 55.1 percent of his passes with six touchdowns, eight interceptions, and 15 sacks. His 6.6 YPA is a notable uptick and testament to his willingness to push the ball downfield.
Rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. is the team’s leading receiver with 70 receptions for 701 yards and five touchdowns. He’s highly involved in the offense. Jerry Jeudy is behind with a 43/531/2 line. Tight end David Njoku has been injured and was hardly involved before getting hurt. Rookie Isaiah Bond has come on strong and is generating more than 19 yards per catch.
As a unit, the Browns have 32 completions of 20-plus yards. That’s 30th in the league. Fannin leads with seven while Bond has four on just 16 total receptions.
Schematically, lots of spacing concepts for Sanders to have 1v1 matchups against. Good zone beaters in open grass.
Cleveland also loves getting speed down the middle of the field. Lots of clear-out routes. Bond is fast and likes to split safeties. Pittsburgh should use more Cover 1 in this game.
The Browns will dial up man-beaters in the red zone/end zone, however, and more zone coverage will be appropriate down condensed. Alert screens in “and long” situations.
Cleveland is prone to plenty of pre-snap mistakes. They litter its tape, even at home. The o-line has trouble with protections and blitz pickups and has been hampered by losing its veteran center and replacing him with a less-experienced backup.
Josh’s Individual Report
It’s Browns week, Steelers fans!
Having won three straight games, the Steelers head to the shores of Lake Erie, a place they haven’t won since 2021, to match up with the AFC North-rival Browns with potentially much on the line within the division.
The Steelers will get their first look at Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who is set to make his sixth NFL start. Pittsburgh did some work on Sanders ahead of the draft, but ultimately passed on him, and it was rather fitting he landed in Cleveland.
Since taking over for the Browns, Sanders has been up and down. He’s flashed plenty of arm talent and mobility, but he’s also had some of his issues from college — drifting in the pocket and taking too many risks with the ball — pop up in the NFL.
Still, there is some hope for the Browns with Sanders.
His arm talent is intriguing, and he’s starting to become more and more confident at this level. Plus, he’s using his legs much more by buying time in the pocket and then turning into a runner.
Against the Bills in Week 16, Sanders used his legs well, creating some splash when plays broke down.
He’s not a guy you truly fear as a runner, but he is athletic and can make plays with his legs. Plus, the Browns have tapped into his mobility in the red zone at times, too, and Sanders has rewarded them with some plays.
Though the Browns don’t have any wide receivers who are true high-end guys, things are coming together nicely for them, especially with Sanders under center.
Jerry Jeudy is the No. 1 with the Browns. While he and Sanders have butted heads at times in recent games with some frustration, the two remain an explosive pair.
Sanders’ best game as a pro came against the Tennessee Titans, and this 60-yard rip to Jeudy over the middle for the score was his best throw this season.
The two can stretch the field and create explosive plays. But the one guy to really worry about when it comes to stretching the field is rookie Isaiah Bond, a guy Sanders has a lot of trust in when pushing the ball down the field.
When the Browns dial up the deep ball to Bond, it’s usually on post routes. He has a ton of speed and has made plays time and time again on the deep balls. Sanders has good accuracy on the shot plays, too, which bodes well for Cleveland.
Outside of Jeudy and Bond, Cedric Tillman remains a dependable possession receiver. He makes a ton catches over the middle with strong hands and is unafraid of contact. As a big-bodied receiver, he’s difficult to deal with over the middle.
Malachi Corley has emerged in recent weeks for the Browns. They’ve worked in some jet sweeps and quick touch passes to him to get him the football in space, allowing him to utilize his speed and get yards after catch.
Make no mistake about it though: the passing game runs through rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
The Bowling Green product has emerged as a true No. 1 TE and a future star. So far this season, Fannin has 70 receptions for 705 yards and five touchdowns. He’s Sanders’ favorite target, and he just makes big plays over and over again.
Fannin is going to be a major challenge for the Steelers’ linebackers and safeties on Sunday.
The run game has been a strength for the Browns for much of the season, but the loss of rookie Quinshon Judkins after a gruesome leg injury against Buffalo in Week 16 is a major blow. Judkins was one of the best rookies in the NFL for much of the season, so how the run game changes remains to be seen.
Rookie Dylan Sampson should start with Judkins out of the lineup. He hasn’t had a ton of success as a runner this season, but he’s very dangerous catching the football out of the backfield.
The Browns are great in the screen game with Sampson, and he’s also able to win as a route runner in space against linebackers, too. He’s a matchup problem in those situations and can create splash quickly.
Rookie Rocket Sanders and Trayveon Williams will get some work behind Sampson. Sanders has tremendous speed and can hit the home run in a hurry, while Williams is a veteran journeyman and is more of a special teams piece.
Up front, the Browns are a bit banged up. Here’s how I expect them to line up on Sunday, left to right:
LT — Cam Robinson
LG — Joel Bitonio
C — Luke Wypler
RG — Wyatt Teller
RT — KT Leveston
Bitonio and Teller are both banged up entering the matchup with Bitonio slowed by a knee injury and Teller working through a calf injury. They still remain a good tandem at guard.
The tackles are the issue. Robinson is a turnstile on the outside and just has not been able to consistently protect the quarterback. Leveston is a better run blocker than pass protector and gives the Browns some size and power at the position. But he can be a problem in pass protection with his heavy feet.
On special teams, kicker Andre Szmyt has connected on 20-of-23 field goals and has really provided a steady presence for Cleveland at the position. He hasn’t missed a field goal since October.
Punter Corey Bojorquez has a big leg, but he tends to outkick his overage and is prone to some mistakes. He’s punted the ball 84 times this season and averages 45.27 yards, including a long of 67 yards. But his net average is 36.8 yards, which is a career low.
Sampson and Corley return the kicks for the Browns, while Gage Larvadain returns punts and is averaging 7.3 yards this season, including a long of 44 yards. He did muff a punt against the San Francisco 49ers a few weeks ago in windy conditions, so some splash for the Steelers could be there on punts.