Add Jameis Winston to the list of surprising Cleveland Browns quarterbacks the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost to. He joins such heralded alumni as Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer, Brandon Weeden, and Brady Quinn. Somehow, Mike Tomlin has managed to lose to all of them in a Browns uniform.
Now, arguably, Jameis Winston is the best of the bunch, or at least he has certainly had the best career. He is a former first-overall pick and can put up some incredible numbers. The Browns didn’t quite need him to on Thursday to beat the Steelers, though. In fact, he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, although he ran for one—the game winner. And he also threw an interception and lost a fumble. But he’s a Brown now after beating the Steelers.
“I do. I really do”, Winston told reporters yesterday, when asked if he feels like he is now a Brown following Cleveland’s win over the Steelers on Thursday. “I’m so grateful that we were able to get last week’s victory. But man, we have to see that team again”.
In his first start against the Steelers with the Browns, Jameis Winston went 18-for-27 for 219 yards. He only took the one sack, but it was a critical one, losing the fumble. The Steelers proceeded to score a go-ahead touchdown, but it wasn’t enough.
Winston deserves credit for that, as the Browns converted on possession downs multiple times after the Steelers’ offense stalled. Over the past few weeks, he has beaten not only the Steelers, but also the Baltimore Ravens. He is 2-2 as a starter with 1,277 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. And he’s ready to keep pushing in the AFC North.
“I think that’s the beautiful thing about this division”, Winston said about the Browns playing the Steelers again so soon. “That was a historic night to me, probably not in history, but that was an extraordinary night”.
It was an extraordinary night for Jameis Winston and the Browns, of course. It was their Super Bowl, and they won. But it was a terrible night for the Steelers, who ceded control of their destiny with the loss. Before the game, they could have earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff chase by winning out. Now they would need help from multiple teams.
And the loss also keeps the Ravens breathing down their neck. The Steelers surely loved to see Winston knock off the Ravens a few weeks back, but now they’re tasting something much worse than Thanksgiving dinner: their comeuppance.
