Ward Says McCormick’s Hit on Verse Was Dirty

Ward said on the Speakeasy podcast that McCormick’s takedown of Verse during an extra-point attempt supported Verse’s earlier description of Pittsburgh as dirty. McCormick was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness, with the penalty applied on the ensuing kickoff.

Verse said after the game that he was upset by the play and had difficulty respecting it. McCormick said he did not know who he had brought down, explaining that he reacted to a jumper and had been taught to bring down jumpers’ hands.

Verse later said he had raised his concerns with Browns teammates about their response to the incident. He also acknowledged that he had not warned them he planned to taunt the Steelers before the matchup, putting them in a difficult position.

The game followed Verse’s comments that Cleveland was about to make Pittsburgh its own. Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward had said beforehand that Verse’s remarks would be addressed. Pittsburgh recorded eight sacks of Deshaun Watson, limited Cleveland to 34 rushing yards on 15 carries and recovered two fumbles.

The Steelers also ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 33 attempts. Their win put them alone atop the AFC North at 6-2, heading into a Week 9 bye.