Steelers turn around 3rd-down defense with emphatic performance

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense spent much of the past week working to atone for a poor showing on third downs in its most recent game.

Not only did the Steelers pass the test in reversing that trend Sunday, they went for extra credit.

The Steelers allowed the Cleveland Browns one third-down conversion in 12 tries, and they also stopped three fourth-down attempts. The play on so-called “possession downs” was a highlight of a suffocating performance during a 38-7 victory.

“We had a better plan,” coach Mike Tomlin said of the Browns game compared to the previous week when the Philadelphia Eagles at one point converted on 10 consecutive third-down tries. “It starts with us as coaches, and then the guys performed better and they finished it off. But we both were ‘JV’ last week — players and coaches — and we got better this week.”

It didn’t take long for the trend to take root. Three defensive snaps into the game, the Steelers pressured Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield on a third-and-3 from the Browns’ 28. Minkah Fitzpatrick stepped in front of a pass intended for tight end Harrison Bryant and sprinted 33 yards for an easy touchdown.

It was the third pick-6 of Fitzpatrick’s career, his second with the Steelers and third touchdown for them overall (including a fumble return) in 19 games with the team.

“We needed to set the tone,” Fitzpatrick said, “and I think the pick-6 on the first drive of the game was definitely the way to do it.”

The second Browns third-down play wasn’t quite as dramatic, but it still was a splash play (a Bud Dupree sack). After two more Cleveland drives ended on incompletions, Cameron Sutton intercepted Mayfield again midway through the second quarter. Another third-down try featured a tackle for loss and a fumble (though it was recovered by Cleveland).

Then, there was a trio of second-half plays that followed snaps in which the Browns failed to convert a third down.

During two fourth-and-1 runs in the second half, Cleveland lost yardage: Kareem Hunt was swarmed in losing a yard on a run from the Browns’ 29 midway through the third quarter, and D’Ernest Johnson lost 2 yards on a similar-looking play and result with 6 minutes, 12 seconds to play in the fourth.

Those fourth-down stops resulted in half-tackles for Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt and Vince Williams and Tyson Alualu, respectively. But either seemingly could have went into the statbook as an 11-way tackle.

“They just fly to the ball,” Mayfield said. “They play good team defense.”

Another failed fourth down was an incomplete pass on fourth-and-2 early in the fourth quarter.

“To get those (fourth-down stops) and put our offense on a short field is huge,” Heyward said.

Getting stops on third and fourth downs begins with better play on first and second downs. And the Steelers stifled what was the NFL’s No. 1 rushing attack to set up third-and-longs. The eight failed third-down tries with Mayfield at quarterback had a to-go average of 7.9 yards.

The Steelers had four sacks and six tackles for loss.

It was enough to flummox Browns rookie coach Kevin Stefanski, a longtime NFL offensive coordinator whose team averaged an AFC-best 31.2 points over the season’s first five games.

“I am sitting here saying, ‘What can I do better?’ ” Stefanski said. “I know there are a few things that I would like to improve next time, but to their credit, they rushed the passer and did a nice job.

“That is what they do. I do not think they changed who they are.”

The Steelers lead the NFL in sacks and yards against. The only major defensive statistic they didn’t enter Sunday among the top 10 in the NFL in was third-down conversion percentage. That figures to change for a defense that has the look of maybe the organization’s best of the past decade.

“They are fun. They are special,” Roethlisberger said. “They are getting turnovers. They are scoring.

“They are a handful.”

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