Games between these two teams are not just football matches. They are intense, smash-mouth battles that ignite passion between players and fans. The rivalry is not just about the game. It's about the shared history and similarities between these two organizations.
Unfortunately, injuries are part of football, like the one that occurred to Browns running back Nick Chubb during Week 2 of the 2023 season. The Browns had driven down the field and were inside the Steelers' red zone. Like many excellent NFL running backs, Chubb is massive, powerful, and strong.
He was already dragging one tackler behind him when Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick hit him. The combination of the two tackles bent Chubb's knee in a gruesome way and resulted in an injury. Acrisure Stadium fell silent as all fans began to pray Chubb would be ok. No one wants to see a competitor as incredible as Chubb go out with a severe injury.
The hit was officially clean; but that did not silence the critics, including Nate Burleson, who called Fitzpatrick into question, saying it was either "malicious or a weak attempt at tackling." Other defenders questioned the NFL's continued restrictions on tackling. Now Fitzpatrick is getting support from an unexpected source: Browns safety D'Anthony Bell.
Bell recently joined a fan show called the My Dawgs Podcast, and the host asked him about the hit on Chubb.
"I don't think it was a dirty hit 'cause I don't think he intentionally tried to do that. A lot of people like fans; they ain't never been in the position where you are in full pads trying to tackle Nick Chubb. You ain't never been in that position, going through the hole, and you see Nick Chubb right in front of you. That's not an easy thing to execute. I think he was just trying to make a tackle on Chubb and it ended up happening. I don't think it was dirty," explained Bell.
Bell isn't the first Browns player to defend Fitzpatrick. Steelers rival, Myles Garrett, a defensive end for the Browns, also spoke up on Fitzpatrick's behalf. Garrett said the tackle Fitzpatrick made is common.
Unfortunately, many people attacking Fitzpatrick on social media have no idea what goes into bringing down someone like Chubb. The fire was only fanned by analysts who are former offensive players like Burleson and former quarterback Chris Simms, who led the charge against Fitzpatrick.
Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick Is The Latest Victim Of An Evolving NFL
Many former Steelers, including Ryan Clark and James Harrison, have expressed their frustrations regarding the league's rule changes. While players support keeping all players safe, some feel it has gone too far and become unsafe for defenders.
Former Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor recently recounted being at the forefront of the charge to end helmet-to-helmet blows. During Taylor's era, he said they took pride in putting opponents "to sleep." A defender knocking someone momentarily unconscious felt better than getting an interception.
The league stopped allowing those kind of hits to help prevent serious injuries, and Taylor said they now have no choice but to go low; there is no other part of the body left. Many of the offenses they went up against expressed that they would rather chance a blow to the head over a possible ACL tear.
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