The Cleveland Browns' 21-18 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday took them to 2-1. The schedule begins to get harder, as they have a short week and host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. The Steelers offense is far from high-powered, but the defense has a few things to track, and here are the top three keys to victory on that side of the ball.
Contain Jaylen Warren
When you think of the top running backs in the NFL, Jaylen Warren is often not in those conversations. However, Warren is dangerous and underrated, showcased by his 176-yard performance on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. With Rico Dowdle banged up, Pittsburgh will likely lean on Warren again. Cleveland must limit the big plays from Warren to keep them within range.
Pressure Aaron Rodgers early and often
The Cleveland Browns
have struggled to build a real pass rush through three weeks, totaling just seven sacks. Worse, Jared Verse hasn't shown up on the box score this season. Cleveland needs him to get to Rodgers and take some of the pressure off Mason Graham, who leads the team with four sacks on the year. If Verse can make an impact, this talented duo could make life miserable for Rodgers.
Frustrate DK Metcalf
These Cleveland cornerbacks and safeties can be as physical as any in the NFL, and they could use that to their advantage on Thursday. It's no secret that when DK Metcalf gets frustrated, his play takes a nosedive. Drops start to appear, blocking gets worse, and routes go unfinished. If Cleveland can get to Metcalf early and throw him off his game, it opens up a world of possibilities for this defense.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 3 Keys for the Browns' defense against the Steelers in Week 4
