Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker didn’t hold back on Cleveland Browns defensive end Jared Verse for failing to back up his trash talk.
Brisker had heard Verse’s comments leading into the AFC North rematch and offered a pointed response after the Steelers took care of business in a 27-6 victory Sunday.
“He should have kept his mouth shut. All that talk, and then to come out with 0 tackles? You didn’t stand on business. He gotta look at himself in the mirror and get better,” Brisker said in a video shared by reporter Ashley Wenskoski.
Despite Brisker’s reference to zero tackles, Verse was credited with one tackle and one quarterback hit. He remains without a sack through eight games with Cleveland.
Verse had dismissed concerns about Pittsburgh’s response during the week, saying he was not worried about Cam Heyward, the Steelers’ offensive line or anyone else on their roster. He predicted the Browns would dominate.
Instead, Pittsburgh rushed for 200 yards, sacked Deshaun Watson eight times and kept Cleveland out of the end zone.
Jared Verse Doubles Down on Steelers Criticism
The loss did little to change Verse’s opinion of Pittsburgh. He stood by his comments afterward, even while acknowledging the Browns had fallen well short of expectations.
“I stand by everything I say. As a man, you have to do that. We could have done more. I don’t know who the hell that team was that walked out there and presented themselves. We didn’t do enough across the board from the first quarter to the last quarter,” Verse said.
A good part of his frustration was aimed at Steelers guard Mason McCormick, who sent him crashing headfirst to the turf as he jumped to block a kick.
“I jumped in the air, tried to block the kick. He swept my legs in the air, ended up landing on my head. That’s football,” Verse said. “I’m very upset about it and if this wasn’t football I’d be acting a different way. He got a flag; we were able to walk away with a yellow penalty on them.”
Verse again took issue with the way McCormick plays, suggesting the latest exchange reinforced his earlier criticism of the Steelers.
“That’s just the way that they are. Him specifically, that’s how he plays. It was a lack of awareness on my part. I should have had a better grasp for the type of player I was going up against,” Verse said.
Mason McCormick Explains Play Against Jared Verse
McCormick offered a different explanation, saying he was carrying out his blocking assignment and did not know the defender leaving his feet was Verse.
“I really had no idea who it was. Just felt somebody jump. I was told to get thejumper’s hands down,” McCormick said.
McCormick drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play. Verse also pulled off the Steelers guard’s helmet during the exchange but was not flagged. The two had already tangled in the first meeting. Verse swung at McCormick following a missed field goal by Chris Boswell, an incident that did not draw a flag.
Cleveland won that matchup, but Pittsburgh’s victory in the rematch dropped the Browns to 5-3 and a game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. Cleveland travels to New Orleans next Sunday.
Browns’ Jared Verse Gets Harsh Message From Steelers After Loss