3 matchups the Cleveland Browns must win to get to 7-3

The Cleveland Browns have revenge on their minds for the second game in a row. Last week the Browns were able to avenge a loss to the Baltimore Ravens from earlier this season. Now it is time to pay back the Pittsburgh Steelers for what transpired during their week two Monday Night Football fiasco.

Only this time around, the revenge will have to come without their starting quarterback. Deshaun Watson has been shut down for the remainder of the season due to a broken bone in his throwing shoulder. However, the show must go on and the Steelers will not be looking to give their pity and condolences.

Now Cleveland hands the keys to the car over to Dorian Thompson-Robinson as he looks to steer a 6-3 team to the postseason. If the Browns are to make a drive to the playoffs, they will need to treat the Steelers like a speed bump this Sunday. Here are three matchups the Browns will need to exploit to defeat their bitter rivals.

Matchup No. 3: Dorian Thompson-Robinson vs Teryl Austin

Cleveland is hanging their hopes of playing deep into January on a fifth-round rookie. While that sentence may not comfort any Browns fans, it's the truth of the situation. But now, without the imminent return of Deshaun Watson, the Browns, and head coach Kevin Stefanski, will get to build around DTR’s unique abilities.

DTR is an amazing athlete with a cannon for an arm. But with that tremendous upside comes an equally unknown floor. It's Stefanski’s job to put DTR in the best possible position to maximize his talents while doing his best to mitigate his flaws.

However, it is the Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s job to expose DTR’s flaws and limit his strengths. Given the weapons at his disposal on the defensive line, Austin’s plan for the rookie most likely involves a healthy amount of pressure. But it's what Austin, and the Steelers, will do on the backend of their defense that could present DTR with the most problems. Confusion can slow any quarterback’s ability to diagnose a defense, so expect Austin to change the picture that DTR sees from pre-snap to post-snap early and often.

Austin’s defense is tied for the league lead in forced turnovers, and they lead the league in creating turnovers inside the red zone this season. So, for DTR the goal is simple, end all of your possessions in kicks in one way or another. Dorian Thompson-Robinson is going to be under constant pressure while trying to decode coverages. Is the rookie up for the challenge? We will all find out this Sunday at 1 pm.

Matchup No. 2: Dawand Jones vs T.J. Watt

This will be Dawand ‘Big Thanos’ Jones second shot at going up against former defensive player of the year T.J. Watt. In their first matchup, Jones held Watt in check from a pass-rushing perspective. However, Watt still managed to make massive game-changing plays, including taking a fumble recovery to the house in the fourth quarter that proved to be the difference in the team’s first matchup of the season.

Jones is returning from missing his first career game due to an injured knee and shoulder. The prize the awaits Big Thanos in his return is the aforementioned Watt. This time around, Jones is a little more seasoned than he was in the previous matchup as he has gotten work against other formidable pass rushers like Jadaveon Clowney, Harold Landry, and Joey Bosa.

However, outside of Bosa, Watt is the only other elite pass rusher the rookie has battled this season. There can be no doubt that Watt will be looking to remind Jones of his prowess. With the Browns already thin at the offensive tackle position, and a formidable edge rusher in Alex Highsmith going up against whoever lines up at right tackle, Jones is going to be tasked with handling Watt without much aid. Dawand Jones has passed every test thus far in his rookie season, but stonewalling T.J. Watt and protecting his fellow rookie quarterback in Week 11 will be his most difficult test to date.

Matchup No. 1: Myles Garrett vs Dan Moore and T.J. Watt

Myles Garrett is on a quest to become the first Browns player to ever win Defensive Player of the Year. Entering Week 11, Garrett is the odds-on favorite to win the coveted DPOY. While it is a tight race at this point in the season, Garrett has a massive opportunity to separate himself from the pack with his matchup against the Steelers.

The opportunity is twofold. Myles will be matched up with a struggling third-year left tackle in Dan Moore. Now, Moore will not be left alone on an island with Garrett very often in Sunday’s game. Garrett will have to deal with his usual barrage of double teams, from both guards and tight ends, as well as an obscene amount of chip blocks from running backs. But even with all the added attention, Garrett will need to persevere and make game-wrecking plays.

However, what makes this a twofold opportunity is the apples-to-apples comparison that Garrett can demonstrate against his edge-rushing counterpart T.J. Watt. While Garrett is the front-runner for the DPOY award, Watt's a former winner of the award and is currently the third favorite for this year’s award. If Garrett can put on a dominant display of his abilities and wreck the game, plus outperform Watt while doing so, Sunday’s game could launch him into a discussion all by himself.