Eagles Defense Doesn't Fear Tough Test Vs. Brown, Steelers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jim Schwartz won't let his defense fear Antonio Brown or the rest of Pittsburgh's high-powered offense.
After handling the Browns and the Bears, the Philadelphia Eagles have a tough test against the Steelers on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger, Brown and NFL leading rusher DeAngelo Williams lead a group that has averaged 31 points in the first two games.
Containing Brown is usually the key to beating the Steelers.
"Yeah, we know what number he wears, so we won't have a problem finding him," Schwartz said Thursday. "But it's not just him. If we concentrate too much on 84 (Brown) — and he's going to get a lot of our attention, for sure — there's a lot of other guys that can make us pay.
"We're going to have to play a good total team game; we're going to have to play total team defense. It's not just going to be about stopping one guy. There are a lot of other matchups that we need to win in this game."
Schwartz has helped the defense improve dramatically in his first season as coordinator. A unit that ranked in the bottom five each of the past three years has allowed just two touchdowns and one field goal.
But Cleveland and Chicago don't compare to Pittsburgh's offense.
"This will be the best offense we face this season," safety Malcolm Jenkins said.
On paper, rookie cornerback Jalen Mills covering Brown is a major mismatch. Mills said he's concentrating on playing "technique football" instead of focusing on Brown because he expects to line up against other Steelers receivers, too.
"We have a lot of great receivers in our division so it's one week at a time, one player at a time," Mills said.
Roethlisberger puts added pressure on the secondary because of his ability to avoid the rush and extend plays. Jenkins, Mills and the other defensive backs have to remain disciplined
"He's one of best in the business at sliding and picking and just working his way around the pocket," Schwartz said. "He's a giant man, he's not afraid of contact in there. A lot of the plays get extended. ... So we need to keep our rush going. It's not just 2 seconds you are rushing for. You've got to keep going. He's not coming down on an arm tackle. You can grab the jersey and he's still going to throw it."
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