3 Critical Keys for Browns to Beat Steelers in NFL Week 8 Showdown
The Cleveland Browns face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8 at FirstEnergy Stadium. Here are three critical keys to victory for Cleveland:
1. Pressure Ben Roethlisberger
- Despite Pittsburgh's inexperienced offensive line, Roethlisberger has only been sacked 12 times
- Myles Garrett leads NFL with 9.5 sacks and will look to add more
- Jadeveon Clowney and Takk McKinley are questionable
- Browns must capitalize when Roethlisberger holds the ball too long
2. Win the Turnover Battle
- Both teams struggling with only 5 turnovers forced each this season
- Browns defense needs strong performance without Denzel Ward
- Focus on pressuring Steelers' depleted receiving corps (no JuJu Smith-Schuster)
- Force mistakes from Roethlisberger like in previous playoff matchup
3. Establish the Run Game
- Feature Nick Chubb and D'Ernest Johnson heavily
- Protect injured Baker Mayfield wearing shoulder harness
- Utilize short/medium passing game targeting:
- Jarvis Landry
- Austin Hooper
- David Njoku
- Follow successful gameplan from Broncos victory
The Browns' success hinges on controlling the ground game, creating defensive pressure, and protecting the football. A strong running attack combined with an opportunistic defense gives Cleveland their best path to victory over their division rivals.
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