A weekly feature with Steelers Contributing Writer/Editor Brian Batko's thoughts, analysis and commentary on the Steelers. Four downs' worth of insight, and always going for it: no punting allowed.
First down: Better late than never. Rico Dowdle's season, and Steelers tenure, didn't get off to the kind of start he envisioned. The seventh-year running back out of South Carolina found little room on the ground in the season opener, then went down with a significant toe injury in Week 2 that forced him to miss the next three games.
The first two of those absences were against the Bengals and Browns, so Sunday's rematch with the Browns will be Dowdle's AFC North debut. And these are just the type of games he was acquired for in free agency, given his hard-nosed rushing style
"It's a division game. Division games are always your toughest ones," Dowdle said. "It's going to be in the trenches. You've got to win the battle in the trenches. It starts up front. We're looking forward to the challenge of going out there and being the more physical team and imposing our will on them. It's my first one, so I'm definitely looking forward to it and excited for it."
Ironically, though, Dowdle's biggest contribution came last week against the Saints and he was featured through the air. His nine carries for 41 yards were season highs, but he also added 45 receiving yards and his six catches were a career high.
Dowdle thought the Steelers "got into a pretty good rhythm" at Stade de France, and it was the rhythm the Steelers had in mind for their backfield duo. It took a little bit of time for them to get here, but controlling the game at home against a division rival will be crucial.
"Jaylen's been incredible, one of the most explosive players in the league right now," Dowdle said. "I'm just trying to come in and piggyback off of him, and let us piggyback off of each other and stay fresh at all times. It's harder for the defense to contain that the whole game."
Second down: Night and day. Exactly one month will have passed from the first Steelers-Browns tilt to the second, October 1 to November 1. A lot can change in a month in the NFL.
The Steelers haven't lost since then, rattling off three consecutive victories. They hope that loss on a Thursday night will hold up as a turning point for this season, and they get the chance to show it at 1 p.m. Sunday.
"I feel like we were kind of just all over the place," said safety Jaquan Brisker. "I feel like now, we trust each other a lot more. Not that we didn't, but … calls have become more simple, our coach has gotten down to the sideline and things like that. Guys are just playing their roles, trusting their roles and playing fast."
Brisker is referring to defensive coordinator Patrick Graham moving from the coaches' booth to field level. That switch has helped make the Steelers a defense that settles in and gets better as the game goes along. They've allowed just six points in the fourth quarter during their win streak.
The Browns have scored 26 points in the fourth quarter over the past three games, so something has to give there. Tackling is always key in any game, but swarming ball-carriers is particularly important considering the Browns' personnel.
"We're just trying to learn from our mistakes early on in the season," said defensive lineman Cam Heyward. "I think when it came to tackles, we were giving it up a little bit, so that's something we've been harping on as of late, getting more guys to the ball."
Third down: Perfect timing. Through seven games, the Steelers offensive line has jelled in a number of ways. But one that has flown under the radar a bit has come before the ball is even in play.
The Steelers have just four false starts this season, tied for third fewest in the NFL. And only one of those has been called on an offensive lineman. Left tackle Troy Fautanu, who played right tackle his first two seasons in the league, doesn't want to speak too soon, but perhaps he got it out of his system in August.
"Personally, I false-started a lot during camp, during the preseason," Fautanu said. "I just had to slow the game down, moving sides."
Any penalty can spoil a drive, but those of the pre-snap variety are especially frustrating. With quarterback Aaron Rodgers renowned for using his hard count as a tool to fool defenses, it puts the onus on his own offensive line to not get fooled themselves. Not to jinx it, but so far, so good.
"I guess it's just a matter of trying to be disciplined," Fautanu said. "When you have the quarterback who's the best in the world at cadences, you've got to be locked in. Going forward, if we want to continue to change things up and catch defenses off-guard with the snap count, we've got to be on top of it."
Fourth down: Rush hour. Kicker Chris Boswell has hit 11 of 12 field goal attempts since his 48-yard miss in Cleveland, with three of those coming from 50-plus yards.
But most impressive might've been his 47-yarder as time expired in the first half last week. The Steelers had to hurry their field goal unit onto the field, which meant setting up the operation on the fly.
That meant using a ball that's different from the ones they usually kick, which is a challenge for Boswell, but the entire process is impressive for snapper, holder and kicker to pull off.
"It's something you practice a lot, but you never really get an opportunity to do it," said punter and holder Cameron Johnston. "I think that was my first time in 10 years. You've just got to be ready for the moment and get the points."
