The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a low-scoring, backyard brawl to the Cleveland Browns, 13-10, Sunday, dropping to 6-4 on the season. The Steelers had been making magic late in games, coming through with crucial plays to turn the tide in their favor despite the offense looking uninspiring for most of the contest.
The same could be said for Pittsburgh’s offense this afternoon in Cleveland as the Steelers totaled 249 yards of offense compared to 259 yards by Cleveland, getting outgained by their opponent for the 10th time this season. The passing game was relatively non-existent as QB Kenny Pickett completed 15-of-28 pass attempts for 106 yards and no scores. RB Jaylen Warren was the lone bright spot on offense, gaining 129 yards on nine carries including a 74-yard touchdown scamper.
Mike Tomlin opened his post game press conference commending Cleveland and its performance, stating that the game unfolded the way they thought it would go, but didn’t make the necessary plays to come out of Cleveland with a victory.
“Man, exactly the type of game we anticipated,” Tomlin said to the media on video via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “Got a really good defense, man. Got a hostile environment. They had a young quarterback and so we knew they were gonna do some things to minimize his exposure to our defensive unit. They weren’t gonna take a lot of risks, and so we had to get stops the traditional way. And so it was a lot of those things. We just came up a play or two short, but that happens man. That’s what happens when you compete in this league and on days like today, and so, we own that.”
Cleveland’s defense came into the game ranked first against the pass and seventh against the run, boasting a stout unit at all three levels. EDGE Myles Garrett managed to rack up two sacks in the game as Cleveland tallied nine tackles for loss and four pass breakups on the day. That made life hard for Pickett and the passing game to get anything going as the Browns covered Pittsburgh’s receivers tight and consistently got pressure.
The Steelers find themselves licking their wounds, coming off two-straight wins with the chance to push to the front of the AFC North with a victory today. They will have to get things sorted out offensively and rebound against the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday. The Bengals will also be playing with a backup quarterback as QB Joe Burrow last Thursday night sustained a season-ending wrist injury.
