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The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped their first primetime contest of the season, falling 27-24 to AFC North rival Cleveland Browns. The defeat prolongs Pittsburgh's strange streak of road losses in Thursday night divisional games, a trend that stretches back to the 1950s.
For much of the game, Pittsburgh lacked balance on offense and defense. The offense came out firing on all cylinders, while the defense struggled to contain Cleveland's playmakers. After the opening series, the offense disappeared, but the defense gained momentum in the second half by forcing two turnovers. Even reliable kicker Chris Boswell missed a field goal early. By the time the offense rediscovered its rhythm, it was too late. The team's blunders were too numerous to overcome, and the mistakes persisted across all units.
The game was a frustrating affair, featuring visible tension between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy over play-calling, and T.J. Watt yelling at defensive coordinator Patrick Graham through the headset. The final score suggests a failed comeback, but the Steelers had effectively lost the game long before the clock expired.
Pittsburgh Abandoned Its Winning Formula After One Drive
The Steelers' first offensive possession consumed nearly ten minutes, a 17-play march that mixed pass and run effectively, culminating in Roman Wilson's touchdown on a jet sweep. Jaylen Warren again stood out as the offense's best player, breaking tackles after catches. Warren accumulated 49 total yards on the 78-yard drive, touching the ball nine times in the team's first 21 plays. However, after Rodgers threw an interception to Denzel Ward that led to another Browns score, Warren's involvement plummeted. He received only 11 more touches over the next 51 plays, never more than two carries per drive after the pick.
In his postgame press conference, McCarthy attributed the offense's inconsistency to the natural flow of an intense divisional game. 'Frankly, I think that's the National Football League,' McCarthy said at the 2:29 mark of the video. He also noted that the environment at Huntington Bank Field was the best he had experienced in any game he had coached there.
This explanation only addresses the outcome, not why the team chose to abandon the running game by the second quarter. The offensive line could not handle Cleveland's pass rush, even after losing Mason Graham, arguably the Browns' best interior rusher, to injury. The receivers again struggled to separate against man coverage, which the Browns employed on about 73% of Steelers dropbacks. Rodgers looked lost and timid. McCarthy (and possibly Rodgers) seems committed to 11-personnel even when it isn't working. What has worked is 12-personnel, with Pittsburgh loading up on tight ends and Darnell Washington serving as a tremendous blocker. The Steelers' offense is at its best when Washington blocks in space and Warren gets the ball behind him. This combination consistently generates chunk yardage on high-percentage looks.
A play shared by Jack Sperry on Twitter perfectly illustrates how Pittsburgh can maximize Warren's pass-catching ability and Washington's open-field blocking to open up the offense using 12-personnel. Yet the urge to have three wideouts on the field on a night when the line couldn't stop anyone proved too strong.
Rodgers Battled His Coach and His Receivers
Rodgers simultaneously hurt and helped the team. His first three quarters were brutal. He repeatedly argued with McCarthy over late play-calling, and at one point, microphones picked up his audio clearly. 'What the f! Call it!' Rodgers screamed. The broadcast then cut to McCarthy, who was caught saying, 'What an ahole.' McCarthy later said in the press conference he wished he hadn't used those words, but the damage was done.
Rodgers' frustration extended to his receivers, whom he yelled at for not getting enough separation against Cleveland's defensive backs. However, Rodgers wasn't doing his pass catchers any favors. He missed throws all night and failed to spot DK Metcalf open behind the safety over the middle on two separate occasions. Cleveland's pass rush exposed Rodgers' immobility all game and rattled him. They frequently sent five rushers and flew past the line, closing in on Rodgers almost immediately after the snap. Rookie right tackle Max Iheanachor surrendered six total pressures and two sacks. One of those pressures resulted in the first of Rodgers' two interceptions.
Rodgers is so bad under pressure these days. Some of these were quick pressures that would have been hard to avoid, but plenty were on the QB. He simply cannot maneuver the pocket or make plays under pressure. (13 of 16 pressures)
Rodgers Had the Overtime Throw and Chose the Wrong One
The fourth quarter saw Rodgers lock in and finally connect on some deep throws, hitting Metcalf for a big gain down the sideline and Washington in the end zone for one of two touchdowns in the period. Still, Rodgers couldn't get out of his own way, as his final throw demolished any chance at an overtime win.
With ten seconds left and a timeout, the offense called a bunch of deep routes to get Boswell into comfortable field goal range. Metcalf ran a post and found himself wide open in the middle. A completion there possibly sends Pittsburgh to overtime. Instead, Rodgers chucked it into triple coverage, trying to hit Wilson on an out-and-go route. The pass was intercepted, and the game was over.
Rodgers' fourth-quarter heroics ultimately fell flat. To his credit, he revived the team after two pivotal forced turnovers by the Steelers defense. The issue is that it shouldn't have been needed. The offense hummed on the first drive when they threatened with the running game. The decision to almost completely abandon it left Rodgers vulnerable to the Browns front, which dominated the line of scrimmage.
This came four days after Warren had 176 total yards against the Cincinnati Bengals. Momentum is powerful, and it can be hard to reclaim once lost. The Steelers panicked after it swung in Cleveland's favor and only got it back once the damage was done. If the team wants to compete in January, the offense must commit to its identity as a run-heavy unit. Feed Warren the ball and stop depending on a 42-year-old quarterback.
Originally reported by yahoo.