Browns vs Steelers Recap

By Brandon Lee

Steelers Defeat Browns 33-18

The Browns fell to the Steelers and now own a 2-5-1 record. They were outgained 421 yards to jus 237. James Connor had 146 yards and 2 touchdowns on his own, running over the Browns defense. The Browns led 6-0 after Greg Joseph made 2 field goals in the first quarter but were outscored 33-12 afterwards. Below we analyze some of the major things seen in the game.

Stale Offense

Finally the offense clicked in the first quarter but could not find the end zone. They also failed to captialize on turnovers forced by the defense or solid field position gained by Jabrill Peppers. The first drive saw them march down the field but the dwindled after. Nick Chubb led the team with 65 yards on 18 carries and Mayfield was 22/36 for 180 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Steelers pressured constantly and tore up the teams offensive line, leaving Mayfield scrambling constantly and Nick Chubb getting hit in the backfield. The Browns needed to make some quick throw but failed to do so after the first drive, a failure by Todd Haley and the Browns coaches.

Run Defense

James Connor tranced all over the Browns front, making defenders miss and shedding tackles. The linebackers felt absent and the front 4 had minimal push. The Browns were simply dominated by the Steelers offensive line and had no answer for the run game. Connor also had 66 yards through the air and simply put the defense to shame.

Tight ends

David Njoku was expected to shine in this game as the Steelers had struggled defending tight ends all season but he didn’t record a catch all game. Seth Devalve led the tight ends with 28 yards and a touchdown which came at the end of the game. Part of the lacking performance was that the team needed its tight ends to help with blocking but still, the game plan never involved the tight ends and they were simply a nonfactor.

Pass rush

The Browns recorded just 1 sack all game and had minimal pressure all day. Myles Garrett appeared to be trying his hardest but had no help. Even when blitzing, Gregg Williams’ defense could not get any pressure on Big Ben and the banged up secondary felt this. The Browns desperatley need another defensive tackle and are simply asking too much from rookie Genard Avery. Garrett is great but needs help and the secondary cannot contain receivers for 5 seconds.

Penalties

While they were less impactful then in previous weeks, the Browns still had penalties and clearly continue to make mental mistakes. They have 1 fewer penalty then the Steelers who lead the league. This is just mental mistakes and stupid errors combined with youth and poor coaching. Something needs to happen, penalties are killer on both offense and defense and special teams penalties are simply uneccesary.