The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in an intriguing spot heading into their Week 12 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Fresh off a gritty victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh now turns its attention to a struggling 2-8 Browns squad on Thursday night. For many, this has the makings of a classic "trap game," but Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson is having none of that talk.
Videos by FanBuzz
"What's a trap game? What that mean?" Jackson quipped to reporters this week, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I played in Carolina, bro, for a long time. I'm not familiar with trap games."
Of course, Jackson knows exactly what a trap game is. The difference now is that he's on a team that must guard against falling into one, a far cry from his days with the Panthers, where his squad might have been the underdog looking to spring the trap.
At 8-2, the Steelers are rolling. Mike Tomlin has long been one of the NFL's best at keeping his teams locked in, and their hard-fought win over Baltimore was another reminder of that. A stat making the rounds this week highlights Tomlin's brilliance: the Steelers rarely lose focus in the midst of a playoff push.
#Steelers Donte Jackson said after he really isn’t familiar with the term ‘trap game’ 😂 pic.twitter.com/I44scANP3x
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) November 19, 2024
Still, AFC North battles have a way of leveling the playing field. The Browns may be floundering, but divisional games in this league are rarely straightforward. Tomlin understands that better than most, and you can bet he's hammering home the importance of Thursday night.
For Jackson, it's about staying in the moment. "It's about respect," he said. "We know it's Cleveland, we know the record. But this is the NFL. You don't respect your opponent, you get humbled real quick."
With Tomlin at the helm, you can be sure the Steelers are hearing that message loud and clear.
