The Browns’ trip to Pittsburgh on Thursday night already carries plenty of juice, with both teams sitting at 2-1 and first place in the AFC North up for grabs. Add in the usual edge between Cleveland and the Steelers, and this one has the kind of early-season bite that makes a division game feel bigger than the calendar says it should.
But there’s another wrinkle hanging over this matchup: Pittsburgh’s offensive line has been caught on film using a move that clearly crosses the line.
In the Steelers’ Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, right guard Mason McCormick repeatedly grabbed the nearest leg of defenders and lifted it off the ground while the team was double-teaming Cincinnati’s defensive tackles. The effect was obvious - the defender was left on one leg, stripped of balance and power, and suddenly much easier to move. It was also obvious that the Steelers got away with it without a flag.
It’s an illegal technique, plain and simple, and it falls under holding. The fact that the officials didn’t call it doesn’t change that.
It just means the crew missed it, and that’s the kind of detail Cleveland will be watching closely on Thursday night. If Pittsburgh keeps using that tactic, the Browns will have to hope the refs don’t let the line turn the game into a wrestling match.
That matters because the Steelers may need every edge they can find to deal with Mason Graham. The Browns’ second-year defensive tackle has been their best player through three weeks and has been wrecking offenses in different ways every week.
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the opener, Graham finished with five tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack. In Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he added three tackles and another sack.
Then in Week 3, he took it up another level with seven total tackles, three for loss, and two sacks.
Cleveland is leaning on its defense, and Graham is the engine up front. Pittsburgh will know exactly who it has to account for, and Graham should be ready for whatever the Steelers throw at him - legal or not.
In Other News...
Browns Win Created A New Offensive Debate Cleveland Can't Ignore
The Browns walked out of Pittsburgh with another win, and it did more than extend their streak to three games and keep them atop the AFC North. It also sharpened the picture of how this offense is trying to win right now, with Jerry Jeudy helping to move the chains on the decisive drive and McLaughlin breaking loose for a 28-yard touchdown on just his second carry in a Browns uniform.
Cade York then finished it off from 56 yards, a career-long kick that extended his streak to 22 straight makes and gave Cleveland a victory built on more than just defense and field position. The result was exactly what the Browns wanted, but it also left a familiar question hanging over an offense that keeps finding different answers in big moments. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Need Mike Hall Jr In A Spot They Feared
Mason Grahams early exit against the Steelers put an already thin Browns defensive line under immediate stress, and it changed the look of the rotation in a hurry. Cleveland has been managing injury issues up front for a while, including Kalia Davis landing on injured reserve, so every snap at defensive tackle matters more than it normally would for a defense built to win with depth and waves.
Maliek Collins helped steady things with a sack after Graham went down, but the bigger concern is how much Cleveland can ask of Mike Hall Jr. from here. The Browns had been hoping to avoid leaning too hard on that part of the roster, and now they may not have much choice if Grahams knee issue lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Monken Had A Sideline Moment Browns Fans Will Notice
For a few minutes on Thursday night, the Browns had a little more than just a comfortable lead over Pittsburgh to enjoy. With Cleveland up 21-7 in the second quarter, head coach Todd Monken was caught on broadcast cameras chatting on the sideline and even drawing a laugh from an official, a rare lighthearted moment in the middle of a division game with plenty on the line.
It stood out because those kinds of exchanges are not usually the part of the night anyone remembers once the game tightens up. In a matchup that would later get more stressful as the Steelers started pushing back, the brief sideline scene offered Browns fans a glimpse of Monken in a looser moment while his team was still in control. [Read more 🡒]