As frustrating as the last decade has been for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, the Cleveland Browns can always be trusted to provide a good laugh. Cleveland has spent most of the century at the bottom of the AFC North, unable to get out of its own way at the quarterback position.
Todd Monken's Browns just made another questionable decision under center, naming Deshaun Watson, who hasn't played meaningful football in two years, their starting quarterback over second-year pro Shedeur Sanders. Neither passer was going to offer Cleveland a real chance to be competitive, but the decision to start Watson still raised eyebrows around the league.
The Steelers won't complain, though. With a Week 4 matchup against the Browns on the horizon, Mike McCarthy's team will get an early chance to make their division rivals look foolish.
Steelers can make Browns' Deshaun Watson decision look like a mistake in Week 4
It's been almost three years since Watson took snaps against the Steelers. In Week 2 of the 2023 season, the Browns were still holding out hope that Watson was their quarterback of the future after their blockbuster trade for him. Pittsburgh's defense proved that he wasn't who Cleveland thought he was.
In that game, Watson completed just 55% of his passes, threw an interception, took six sacks, and fumbled twice. His miserable performance helped the Steelers push to a 26-22 victory.
Watson's only other matchup with the Steelers as the Browns' QB wasn't any better. In Week 18 of the 2022 campaign, he threw two interceptions and fumbled once. Two of the quarterback's worst games during his time in Cleveland have come against Pittsburgh.
It's time for the Steelers to make it three.
By all accounts, Pittsburgh's defense has improved significantly under new coordinator Patrick Graham this offseason. The defensive line is one of the most talented groups in the NFL and could terrorize Cleveland's patched-together offensive line. The combination of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig could give Browns rookie left tackle Spencer Fano his "welcome to the NFL" moment.
Graham has produced competent defenses with the Las Vegas Raiders despite mediocre talent for years. This Week 4 matchup against Watson and the Browns will give him the opportunity to show just how dominant his units can be with adequate players.
The Steelers have been the monster hiding under Watson's bed since he joined the Browns. Their Week 4 arrival might just scare him out of Cleveland's starting quarterback job.
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