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On the surface Womens Jerome Bettis Jersey , they couldn't be more different. One is the self-professed country boy from Georgia with the easy laugh. The other is a quiet kid from Wisconsin who happens to be the youngest member of a family that treats football not so much a sport but a calling.Bud Dupree, however, wants to let you in on a little secret. That “aw shucks” demeanor fellow Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt carries around? It's all a front.“T.J.'s one of us,” Dupree said in his unique clipped southern drawl. “He's a savage.”Takes one to know one.Following two years in which their partnership seemed to thrive only in fits and starts, Dupree and Watt have evolved into one of the best edge rusher tandems in the NFL. They've combined for 22 sacks, 25 tackles for loss and 42 quarterback hits for the Steelers (8-5). Their brand of weekly chaos one of the main reasons Pittsburgh remains in the hunt for an unlikely playoff berth heading into Sunday's visit by Buffalo (9-4).It's the kind of production head coach Mike Tomlin admits he expects from first-round picks in their mid-20s, that point in a player's career when the game slows down as the mind speeds up. It's a point the ever-precocious Watt reached in 2018, when he rolled up 13 sacks in his second season en route to the Pro Bowl. It's a point Dupree flirted with but never quite arrived at during his first four years in the league, when flashes of dominance would mix with long stretches when his No. 48 would blend into the background.Not anymore. Whether it's the natural maturation process or the added incentive of looming free agency, Dupree is thriving, his ever present prodigious physical gifts meshing with a studious approach that's put him in line for a massive payday next spring.“It's his last year of his contract, he should (be playing like this),” Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “I'm serious. He should. But he should have done that last year, too Jerome Bettis Jersey , because his body of work is what people are going to pay him for in the league and stuff like that. But he understands that he's a big part of the defense.”Dupree's 9 1/2 sacks are a career high, but he's just as effective against the run. His most important play this season may have come in the final moments of a 26-24 victory over Indianapolis on Nov. 3. He split two blockers and dropped Colts running back Marlon Mack for a 3-yard loss. Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri's potential winning field goal sailed wide left on the next snap and Pittsburgh held on.It's the kind of play Dupree might not have made earlier in his career. Not for lack of effort, but from a lack of understanding of his own gifts. Inside linebacker Vince Williams likened the 6-foot-4, 269-pound Dupree's play this fall to an “awakening.”“It's like, 'I'm going to go out here and nobody can stop me,” Williams said. "Like I don't know if that makes sense, but from a football perspective it does because sometimes you've just got to understand nobody is going to block you and just having that type of mindset."A mindset that Watt seemed to have from the jump. Blame it on a survival instinct honed from being the kid brother in a group that includes Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt, a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Though he was the youngest of the bunch — middle brother Derek is a fullback for the Los Angeles Chargers — T.J. Watt didn't get babied.Rather than cower in the shadows, T.J. forged ahead — an approach that developed the mental toughness required to thrive for a franchise with a legacy at outside linebacker, including some of the most notorious game wreckers in NFL history. From Greg Lloyd to Kevin Greene to Joey Porter to James Harrison.“I grew up being compared to my brothers,” Watt said. “So you can't get caught into a comparison battle because you'll drive yourself crazy.”Watt and Dupree are doing more than holding their own. Their combined sacks total this season are the team's most through 13 games since Harrison and LaMarr Woodley had 24 1/2 at the same point in 2008. The Steelers, by the way, went on to win their sixth Super Bowl that year.The challenge for this group is far more daunting thanks to a slew of injuries on offense that have forced a drastic shift in approach. Pittsburgh's hope is to get to 20 points and make that enough. For two-plus months it has been, thanks in large part to Dupree and Watt serving as the bookends on a defense that leads the NFL in sacks and takeaways.“It's the competitive nature of their position James Conner Jersey ,” Williams said. "You've got guys like T.J. and Bud, they can bounce ideas off of each other. I remember having that kindred spirit in Ryan (Shazier). That's what I compared it to and I was telling both of them, you feed off each other. Use that. If you've got any questions or if you see something, share all that information with each other, use each other to play better."And they do.“We're kind of studying different things and then we share our notes so we're not wasting time,” Watt said. “We can verify things. He can say, 'Look I'm seeing this for a snap count or a run/pass key and can we check on this for me and vice/versa.”That way, when they get on the field, they're reacting instead of thinking. It's led to a series of giddy sack celebrations, though Dupree admits Watt's dancing could use some work.“He's trying,” Dupree said with a laugh. “I'm teaching him.”Just one “savage” looking out for another.NOTES: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster's attempt to play for the first time in four weeks met a setback when he was limited in practice on Thursday a day after being a full participant. ... RB James Conner (shoulder) practiced for the second straight day and is tracking toward a return. Three straight wins to open the season haven't erased all the doubts that four years of losing created for the San Francisco 49ers.There was an ugly win over a perceived also-run in Tampa Bay, a blowout against overmatched Cincinnati and then a mistake-filled victory over Pittsburgh and backup quarterback Mason Rudolph.Now the degree of difficulty starts to get much more difficult, starting with Monday night's home game against a Cleveland Browns team that has shown early signs of being a legitimate contender in the AFC North."A lot of people on this team don't get credit they deserve, so Monday we're going to showcase that https://www.thesteelerslockerroom.com/authentic-terrell-edmunds-jersey ," 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin said.Skepticism surrounding the 49ers (3-0) and Browns (2-2) is warranted based on the recent history. The two franchises were the bottom two in the league over the previous four seasons, with Cleveland winning a league-low 11 games in that span and San Francisco not far ahead with only 17.While a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback and a vastly improved defense have transformed the 49ers, the Browns have been a bit more inconsistent this season alternating losses with wins.But they are hoping last week's 40-25 win at Baltimore is a sign of how a star-studded roster led by second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield, dynamic playmakers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nick Chubb, and dominant force Myles Garrett can be different than past Browns teams."We came out with a big win this past weekend, and I feel that just the energy is different," defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi said. "You can tell the guys are really fully buying into what we have going on in here and know that everything we want is in front of us. We just have to keep working."Here are some other things to watch:CHUBB-LE TROUBLEChubb's breakout game _ and breakaway speed _ helped the Browns snap out of their early season offensive funk and push past the Ravens last week. Chubb ran for 165 yards, 88 coming on a jaw-dropping touchdown run in which he was clocked at 21.95 mph, the fastest speed on a touchdown in the NFL this season.The second-year back, who rushed for 996 yards as a rookie, could be Cleveland's best player. Coach Freddie Kitchens feels Chubb embodies everything the Browns are looking for."Every time the clock starts turning, you know what you are going to get from him," Kitchens said. "After all of that, you throw in his ability Womens Terrell Edmunds Jersey , his skillset, his desire inside within to be successful and his resilient nature and chasing being good. I do not know what else you want in a football player."ON AN ISLANDThe 49ers suffered a significant loss in their latest win with a foot injury that will sideline cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for at least a month. Witherspoon had been one of the bright spots for San Francisco this season as he bounced back from a rough second year. His injury will likely force Emmanuel Moseley into the starting lineup for the first time in his career. The Niners typically don't have top cornerback Richard Sherman follow No. 1 receivers, meaning Cleveland could force Moseley to match up often with Beckham."I'm excited for him," Sherman said. "He's an unknown to these people. And he won't be after this game. I think it will be a positive experience."BECKHAM'S BLOCKINGBeckham came to Cleveland with a reputation as being selfish. Last week, he showed he's a team player. The Browns star made several key blocks last week in Baltimore, picking off or shielding defenders downfield on several long plays. The three-time Pro Bowler may be best known for his one-handed catches and fashion choices, but Kitchens said Beckham's willingness to do whatever's necessary is a sign that he's bought into Cleveland's program.GO TO SKULEThe other major injury the 49ers are dealing with is at left tackle, where veteran Joe Staley will miss at least six weeks with a broken leg. Rookie Justin Skule held his own in his first start two weeks ago against Pittsburgh and Bud Dupree. But he will have a much tougher task this week against Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in 2017 who has six sacks through four games.ROAD TESTEDThe Browns are 2-0 on the road for the first time since 1994, when they won their first three games outside Cleveland. That's an impressive jump for a team that didn't win any games _ home or away _ just two years ago. It's been a challenging start to the season for the Browns, who will be playing in their third prime-time game in five weeks."Anytime you leave Cleveland, it is difficult," Kitchens said. "You mentioned the length of travel, and that adds another piece of adversity. A Monday night game adds another piece of adversity _ more attention. This team is doing a lot of things for the first time. I think they have handled it very well."ALL-AROUND THREATA few eyebrows were raised around the league in the 2017 offseason when the Niners gave fullback Kyle Juszczyk a $21 million Womens James Conner Jersey , four-year contract in an era when many teams have gone away from two-back sets. But Juszczyk is a key part of coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, allowing him to dictate matchups. recent game two weeks ago against Pittsburgh. He made a diving 27-yard catch, stiff-armed Minkah Fitzpatrick to the ground on a 22-yard catch and run, added one more short reception and strong run-blocking in a performance that garnered more attention than usual to a player who only touches the ball a handful of times a game."When he makes some plays like that in the pass game, I think he gets a little more credit and it's deserved," Shanahan said.AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Berea, Ohio, contributed to this report