The Pittsburgh Steelers are 8-3, but they just suffered an ugly loss to the Cleveland Browns. The worst part might be how many opportunities they had to win. The Browns did almost everything they could to lose that game. The Steelers just couldn’t get out of their own way. Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, now working as an analyst for Thursday Night Football, recently explained how the vibe shifted during that game.
“A funny story about the green room, I was the only one that picked Cleveland,” Fitzpatrick said Monday on his Fitz and Whit podcast. “I went lone wolf, feeling pretty good about that. The green room in the second half, it felt to me like Rocky IV.
“We’re in Russia, it’s the 12th round, and Rocky has now won over the crowd. The green room was chanting for the Browns to win this game because everybody wanted Jameis [Winston] on the desk.”
For those of you who have never seen Rocky IV, it follows an immensely popular American boxer traveling to Russia to face a seemingly unstoppable opponent. Even though the bout was on the Russin’s home turf, by the end of the match, everyone is rooting for Rocky. It isn’t the worst comparison.
The Steelers had a little more doubt surrounding them than Ivan Drago, but the Browns were underdogs, just like Rocky Balboa. The game was in Cleveland, so the Browns had the crowd behind them. However, it sounds like the crew of analysts working the game were rooting for the Steelers until late in the game.
Winston is a relatively likable personality, especially when compared to another Browns quarterback, so it isn’t surprising to hear people want him to succeed. Fitzpatrick was also teammates with Winston in 2017 and 2018 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which probably explains why he picked the Browns in the first place. Credit to him as his faith in Winston was rewarded.
Steelers fans obviously aren’t happy their favorite team lost, but it sounds like there’s not a shortage of people who enjoyed Cleveland’s feel-good story. Winston and the Browns will get a chance to have an actual Rocky IV moment in just a few weeks.
Week 14 will see the rematch between the Steelers and Browns, with this game being played in Pittsburgh. If Winston really is Rocky, he’ll get that crowd behind him. That seems unlikely though. Steelers fans have done a good job protecting their field this year. After such a heated first meeting, it’s likely they’ll come out in droves to cheer on the Steelers against the Browns. The Russian needs to win this time.
