Story by
Jared Verse’s Trash Talk Backfires as Steelers Rout Browns and Jaquan Brisker Fires Back
- Story by
- Jared Verse’s Trash Talk Backfires as Steelers Rout Browns and Jaquan Brisker Fires Back
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns in dominant fashion , but one big story was brewing beyond the play on the field. Browns defender Jared Verse had been giving the Cleveland media numerous sound bites dating back to the teams' Week 4 prime-time battle . Verse repeatedly called the Steelers' offensive line "dirty" after that game and continued to chirp leading up to the Week 8 contest.
NFL players on the receiving end of this kind of pregame talk will often say they don't hear the outside noise, but the reality is they do. It didn't take long after the Week 8 battle for the Steelers to tell the media what was on their minds. A few heard Verse and were quick to point out his poor performance. One of those was Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker .
Advertisement
"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 after the Steelers win.
Brisker Sounds Off on Cleveland
Nov 1, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) and safety Jaquan Brisker (3) react during the second quarter of an NFL game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Verse actually finished the day with one tackle but remains without a sack this season. When Cleveland acquired him in the Myles Garrett trade , the Browns expected him to be a strong replacement for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. That hasn't been the case. On Sunday, Verse put together an embarrassing performance that included a highlight of him getting body-slammed to the turf.
Advertisement
Brisker took issue with more than just Verse, however. In the first quarter, officials flagged him for a roughing-the-passer penalty that he did not take well. When asked about it, he took a shot at Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson .
"Babying the quarterback. He's over there crying or whatever he's doing. It is what it is … He had his binky today, so," Brisker told the media.
Nov 1, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Robert Spears-Jennings (28) and safety Jaquan Brisker (3) during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
A local product who played high school football at nearby Gateway, Brisker knows what this divisional matchup means. He grew up watching the Steelers dominate the Browns, and Sunday brought a blast-from-the-past performance from his team. After weeks of hearing Browns fans and their offseason acquisition chirp following Week 4, Brisker and the Steelers exacted revenge.
Advertisement
The Steelers head into their bye week at 6-2 and sit alone atop the AFC North. Their Week 10 matchup will be another critical divisional battle against the Cincinnati Bengals. So far, no noteworthy sound bites have come out of the Bengals' camp since Pittsburgh won the Week 3 meeting.
More on the Pittsburgh Steelers
This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
