Ok, I can’t top any weirdness with what happened at the end of the game but here are some stats that can try to compete.
– Last time the Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers by 14+ points, as they did in last night’s 21-7 victory? 2014, when they won 31-10.
It’s only the third occurrence since the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999. 2003 was the other instance, a 33-13 Dawg Pound victory.
– This was the first four interception game of Mason Rudolph’s career, college or pro.
– Under Kevin Colbert, only three Steelers’ QBs have thrown 4+ picks in a game. Rudolph, Ben Roethlisberger (three times), and Kordell Stewart.
– Pittsburgh’s on pace to rush for, as a team, just 1291 yards this season. If that pace holds, it would be their fewest in a season, excluding non-strike years, since 1966, when they rushed for just 1092 yards on the ground. That year, they were “led” by Willie Asbury who finished with 544 yards.
– Sacks allowed pre and post bye week.
Before the bye (six games): 5
After the bye (four games): 10
Ouch.
– I’m having trouble combing through history and don’t want to say this as 100% gospel but…when was the last Steeler to be ejected before Maurkice Pouncey yesterday? Players who have been suspended, sure, after the fact. But ejected?
I *think* it was Joey Porter for his fight with Browns’ RB William Green prior to kickoff in 2004. Let me know if I’m wrong. If not, then that’s a pretty crazy coincidence for it to be Steelers/Browns again.
– Anyone remember WR Walter Young? We wrote about him years ago. Tevin Jones is doing a good impersonation.
Young’s first (and only) NFL catch came on 3rd and 9 from the Steelers 18 against the Cleveland Browns on a Thursday night game in 2009 for a gain of 17.
Tevin Jones first NFL catch came on 2nd and 17 from the Steelers 23 against the Cleveland Browns on a Thursday night game in 2019 for a gain of 16.
– Something positive! Since last season, TJ Watt is tied for the third most sacks (23.5) in football. He only trails Aaron Donald (26.5) and Chandler Jones (24.5).
The man Watt is tied with? Myles Garrett. I like Watt’s chances of passing him up the rest of the way.
– For only the second time this season, the Steelers didn’t win the turnover battle. Broke their eight game streak.
– Since 1992, as far back as the data’s tracked, Johnny Holton is the only receiver to have just one reception on at least 13 targets.
– No team is worse on 3rd/4th and 1 than the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just 4/16 converting in those moments, 25% of the time. The league average? 66.7%. The Steelers last year? 74.2%.
– And finally, just to sum up how much the offense sucked last night. Pittsburgh averaged just 3.7 yards per play. That’s their worst mark since their Week 1 opener loss to Tennessee in 2013, when they averaged 3.6 yards per play.
