The Pittsburgh Steelers made the short bus ride to Cleveland to continue the Turnpike Rivalry. They will board the bus with a 29-17 loss in their pockets. The final margin of victory being a defensive touchdown as the Steelers tried to lateral the ball around on the final play but fumbled it into their own end zone. The two rivals will now go their separate ways so until then Check out Caesars Ohio next time the two teams meet in week 18. Here are my rapid-fire thoughts on the game.
Offense
–Matt Canada clearly had more creativity than in the first two games. The middle of the field however remains a barren wasteland. The second half however the offense couldn’t do anything and left the defense out to dry. 311 total yards just isn’t going to cut it.
-Jaylen Warren (4 carries 30 yards) has to get more touches. He’s just too damn explosive right now not to get some opportunities.
-Where was Pat Freiermuth (2 Rec 41 yards) tonight? He didn’t see a pass through the first 56 minutes of the game then caught two straight.
-Amazing catch by George Pickens on the sideline. One of the better catches you’ll see this year.
-Najee Harris (15 for 56 1TD) was much more decisive in his running tonight and it showed. He was more aggressive and there was much less “East and West” running from him.
-Diontae Johnson had a nice night with 8 Rec and 84 yards but he dropped two balls including one on a crucial third down. Most of his receptions were on sideline or comeback routes too.
-Mitchell Trubisky was again “so-so.” He was 20/32 for 207 yards and shined most when the team went up tempo only to never return to it. Personally I would make the switch to Kenny Pickett now but I’m convinced that Mike Tomlin will not go there.
-The Steelers were 1 for 9 on third downs. That’s atrocious.
Defense
-Terrell Edmunds is a good athlete. No need to have given Amari Cooper that much room. Edmunds was also beaten by David Njoku for a score.
-Just too much room in the run game (171 rushing yards). Chubb and Hunt are a terrific duo and they’re going to get yards but it was too many. Part of this was fatigue. The D was on the field for a ridiculous amount of time in the second half. While the effort was there, they just couldn’t get enough stops.
-Really rough night for Ahkello Witherspoon who was beaten over and over by Amari Cooper. Also should have had a pick had he just turned around.
-Remember the days when the Steelers couldn’t cover the tight end? Tonight proved those days didn’t go far as David Njoku (9 Rec 89 yards) had a huge night almost entirely over the middle.
-No turnovers tonight. It’s incredibly hard to win when you can’t get a fumble or interception while the offense is struggling.
-Devin Bush is playing better than I thought he would be at this stage. Still room to get better but from where he was last year? It’s an improvement.
-For years the Steelers’ defense has had a simple foundation. Pressure the QB and tackle the catch. The last two weeks have proven that the secondary just can’t hang with receivers when there isn’t enough pressure.
-Minkah Fitzpatrick had a quiet night and that was in part due to the fact the Browns stayed away from him as much as possible. Don’t discount however the overall lack of pressure on the QB too.
Special Teams
-Chris Boswell was one for two on his field goals but his miss was largely helped by a wicked 24 mph wind. He also kicked a terrific onsides ball that should have been recovered by the Steelers. It would have been for naught as the Steelers were offsides on the kick.
Coaching
-Mike Tomlin was very animated following a successful field goal by Boswell that didn’t count because the Browns had 12 men on the field. Boswell nailed the field goal anyway but I think what Tomlin was asking about was why it wasn’t a first down. It said ‘fourth and five’ and a five yard penalty should have been a first down. Tomlin at the very least could have been arguing as to why there wasn’t a measurement.
Up Next
The Steelers get a mini-bye before hosting the New York Jets. Then they begin a nightmare run that features Tampa Bay, Philly and Miami.
Feature Image courtesy foxnews.com
