Jared Verse didn’t waste much time getting a feel for what AFC North football is all about.
In his first crack at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, the Browns defender walked straight into the kind of chippy, heated game that has long defined the division. There was plenty of pushing and shoving throughout the night, and Verse made it clear afterward that he noticed every bit of it.
“They were talking crazy,” Verse told reporters, per the New York Post. “I was telling them, ‘You’re double-teaming, y’all sliding, y’all GARBAGE.’ I don’t got no respect for anyone who plays dirty and does extra s**t after the game.”
Verse, who was part of the Myles Garrett trade with the Los Angeles Rams during the offseason, arrived in Cleveland as the biggest deal of the summer and with plenty of expectation attached to his name. Through the first four games of the season, he’s shown enough to keep that buzz alive, even if the sack column is still empty.
That hasn’t stopped him from fitting in quickly with what the Browns want on both sides of the ball. He sounds energized by the move to Cleveland, and after one game against Pittsburgh, he already seems to understand exactly how personal this matchup can get.
For Browns fans, that kind of attitude will land just fine. Verse left Thursday night with a win in his first shot at the rivalry, and the moment looked every bit like a player who had just taken his first step into AFC North football.
In Other News...
Steelers Let A Young Starter Slip Away Over One Familiar Rule
Joey Porter Jr. had become one of the more intriguing young pieces on Pittsburghs defense, but contract talks never moved far enough to keep him in black and gold. The Steelers put a long-term extension on the table that averaged $28 million per year, yet the structure stopped short of guaranteeing money beyond the first year, a familiar line for a team that has long guarded itself against heavy long-term risk.
That approach eventually pushed Porter into a holdout and then out the door entirely, with Pittsburgh sending him to Dallas for a second-round pick and a conditional sixth-rounder. The Cowboys are expecting him to help once he gets past a back injury, while the Steelers are left to wonder whether staying loyal to one organizational rule cost them a young starter with real value. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Defensive Problem They May Need To Solve Fast
The Steelers defensive depth took a hit in Week 4, and it came in two different places at once. Derrick Harmon was carted off with a foot injury, while Jamel Dean was also slowed by an ankle issue and later seen in a walking boot, leaving Pittsburgh bracing for the possibility that both players could be sidelined for multiple weeks.
For a defense built on keeping pressure on opponents and surviving long stretches of the season, the timing is less than ideal. The staff is already weighing ways to cover Deans absence, with internal options and outside additions both on the table, and the next few days could shape how quickly the Steelers stabilize a unit that suddenly looks thinner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Tackle Panic May Be Missing The Bigger Long Term Story
The Steelers front has become an early talking point because the pass protection has been under real stress, with 13 sacks allowed through four games and a pressure rate that has left little room for comfort. Still, the line picture is not as simple as a weekly panic over the tackles, because Troy Fautanu has settled in at left tackle and shown steady improvement, giving Pittsburgh at least one spot where the trend line is moving the right way.
Max Iheanachors rookie season has been more uneven, but the first-round pick remains part of the long-term answer at right tackle even with some growing pains along the way. For a team trying to stabilize its offense, the bigger question may be whether the Steelers are looking at a temporary protection problem or a young tackle group that could matter more in the months ahead than it has in the early going. [Read more 🡒]