5 things we learned in Steelers’ win over the Browns: NT Keeanu Benton has ‘ball skills’
Five things we learned from Steelers 27, Browns 14:
1. Benton’s big play
It wasn’t that the Pittsburgh Steelers were so stunned to see Keeanu Benton get his first career interception against the Cleveland Browns, but more so the manner in which he did.
The 6-foot-4, 309-pound nose tackle stayed home on a screen pass intended for running back Nick Chubb and picked off Browns quarterback Jameis Winston for a momentum-shifting turnover early in the second quarter.
“I didn’t see No. 95,” Winston said. “And that was the main thing about that play. He made a good play.”
"This is another one Winston's gonna want back" - Jim Nantz
Keeanu Benton showing off the athleticism for the @steelers INT pic.twitter.com/36FRtmw6Na
— NFL on CBS ???? (@NFLonCBS) December 8, 2024
Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward called it a “heck of a play” by Benton, noting his awareness to track it down the line.
“It’s not like it was popped in the air or anything,” Heyward said. “I can’t say enough about the kid. He works his tail off. I know he wants big plays all the time. It was a big play for us in this game. Lucky to have that kid on our sidelines.”
Benton didn’t just pick off the pass. He returned it to the Cleveland 31, putting the Steelers in position to score the go-ahead touchdown on Najee Harris’ 1-yard run for a 10-7 lead.
“I didn’t know he’s athletic,” Steelers strong safety DeShon Elliott said, with a sly smile. “He had a lot of (pass breakups) this year because he’s a great player. I didn’t know he had those ball skills, too.”
Benton drew cheers from his teammates in his appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North” documentary series, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin joined in praising the 2023 second-round pick for his performance.
“I can’t say enough about that play,” Tomlin said. “KB is a young guy that’s evolving and evolving in a big way. I just think that play is an example of it.”
2. Fast Willie likes ‘dynamic duo’
When running back Jaylen Warren signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2022, he followed in the footsteps of his famous cousin.
Willie Parker advised Warren to play the Steelers’ brand of football, making a name for himself by running hard. What has impressed Parker is how Warren plays without the ball.
“Now the way he blocks is phenomenal. He blocks way better (than me),” said Parker, who was in Pittsburgh for his induction in the Steelers’ Hall of Honor. “I look at him at that level and I’m like, ‘Oh, you got it, man. That’s good stuff. They can leave you on the field.’”
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That was before Warren rushed for 47 yards on nine carries, including a pair of 14-yarders in the second half. Warren had a higher yards-per-carry average (5.2) than Chubb (4.4) and combined with Najee Harris for 100 of the Steelers’ 120 rushing yards.
“Jaylen’s doing his thing. He’s really, really running the ball at a high level. I actually love watching him run,” Parker said. “I like that little dynamic duo they have with Najee and him. They’ve really got a nice one-two punch. Coach Tomlin’s doing a hell of a job with those guys.”
3. Pick for Pierre
When Donte Jackson has gone down with injury, the Steelers haven’t hesitated to insert James Pierre as an outside corner in favor of switching Cameron Sutton from the slot.
In the 28-27 win at Washington on Nov. 11, Pierre made a big play in the final two minutes when he broke up a third-and-9 pass intended for Noah Brown. The Commanders came up short on fourth-and-9, when Jayden Daniels threw an 8-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz.
Pierre made it look like a smart move for the second time this season, as he made a sliding interception of a Winston pass intended for Elijah Moore at the Steelers 18 late in the fourth quarter.
BALL HAWK JAMES PIERRE!
???? Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/COxKRnr6Mc pic.twitter.com/Ij0yKUPZCk
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 8, 2024
Elliott said it was a sign that Pierre reaps what he sows.
“JP had a great week of practice,” Elliott said. “He has a great week of practice every week. That’s just the football gods awarding him for the hard work, the things he’s done over the year.”
Is Mike Tomlin the best coach in all of sports?
His QB1 says yes. #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/fQAkXjXRaN
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 8, 2024
4. A 10-spot for Steelers
The Steelers recorded 10 wins for the second consecutive season and 28th time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. That’s the second-most in that span, trailing only the Dallas Cowboys (29).
It marked the 13th time the Steelers have started a season 10-3 after 13 games and their best start since 2020, when they opened at 11-2. Since 1990, all 78 teams that opened the season 10-3 reached the playoffs, 76.9% (60 of 78) won their division and 10.3% (eight of 78) won the Super Bowl.
Mike Tomlin has 11 10-win seasons with the Steelers, which is tied with Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs for the second-most since 2007, behind only Bill Belichick (14).
Tomlin now has 27 regular-season wins over the Browns, the most by a head coach against Cleveland in NFL history and the seventh-most by a head coach against any opponent since the AFL-NFL merger.
Pat Freiermuth had a better day kicking than Dustin Hopkins pic.twitter.com/PfjnCs6b7f
— Roberto Shenanigans (@Rob_Shenanigans) December 8, 2024
5. Getting the boot
For the second time in AFC North play, the Steelers benefited from an opposing kicker’s missed field goals.
Where Baltimore’s Justin Tucker went wide left on attempts from 47 and 50 yards in the first quarter of an 18-16 loss to the Steelers on Nov. 17, Cleveland’s Dustin Hopkins also missed a pair.
Hopkins had a chance to cut into the Steelers’ 13-7 lead in the final minute of the first half, but his 38-yard attempt toward the north end zone sailed wide left.
The Browns opened the second half with a 56-yard kick return by Jerome Ford and used an unnecessary roughness penalty on Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to move deep into Pittsburgh territory. When the drive stalled at the 25, the Browns had another shot to cut their deficit to three points.
This time, Hopkins pushed a 43-yard attempt wide right.
Even though Hopkins is 16 of 25 on field goals this season and could have tied the score by converting the back-to-back kicks, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski continues to show support.
“Obviously, I expect him to make those,” Stefanski said. “He expects to make them. We’re going to keep fighting in those scenarios. Obviously, we need to come through in those situations. We got to score (touchdowns), and if we settle for field goals, obviously we’ve got to make them.”
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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