The Browns’ inactive list for today’s game against the Steelers brought a little clarity at quarterback and a bit of good news elsewhere.
Cleveland had spent much of the week dealing with questions up front after RT Tytus Howard missed practice all week with a concussion, but he got the green light on Saturday and is active for the game. CB Myles Harden is active too after entering the day as the only Browns player with a questionable designation.
The bigger decision centered on the quarterback room. With QB Dillon Gabriel back for the first time this season, the Browns had to sort out how the depth chart would shake out behind starter QB Deshaun Watson.
Head coach Todd Monken said Friday that QB Shedeur Sanders would remain the backup, which left the third-quarterback spot on the inactive list. That spot goes to Gabriel, making QB Taylen Green ineligible to play for the first time this season.
Gabriel would only be used if both Sanders and Watson were injured.
Outside of that, Cleveland’s inactive group is the familiar one.
Browns inactives: QB Dillon Gabriel (third QB)
Steelers inactives: QB Will Howard (third QB)
QB Drew Allar RB Eli Heidenreich
WR Ben Skowronek CB Brandin Echols
CB Doneiko Slaughter
Pittsburgh didn’t make any major additions to its inactive list, though the team is already thin at receiver with Michael Pittman Jr and Roman Wilson on injured reserve. To help with depth, the Steelers elevated WR Brandon Smith from the practice squad.
In Other News...
Browns Got Exposed In Pittsburgh Where It Hurts Most
The Browns walked into Pittsburgh needing a cleaner, sturdier performance and instead got pushed around in the one place they most wanted to hold up. The Steelers grabbed the early lead and never gave it back, while Clevelands offense spent much of the afternoon fighting uphill, unable to get its ground game moving and unable to keep Deshaun Watson upright.
Even with the loss, there were a couple of individual bright spots for Cleveland, including Harold Fannin Jr. turning in a career-best day as a receiver. But the bigger picture was hard to miss: Pittsburgh controlled the line of scrimmage, Jaylen Warren ripped off 143 rushing yards, and the Browns were left with the kind of physical imbalance that tends to linger long after one divisional game ends. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Get Their Biggest Test Yet In Pittsburgh After Hot Start
The Browns fast start has changed the tone around the franchise in a hurry. After an offseason that looked like it might lean toward a rebuild, Cleveland instead chose a more competitive path, and the early results have backed up that decision. At 5-2 and 2-0 in the AFC North, the Browns have given their fan base something it did not necessarily expect this soon, while also putting a spotlight on the organizations willingness to be accountable for the direction it chose.
Now comes the kind of game that can tell you a lot about whether this start is sustainable. A trip to Pittsburgh has a way of sorting out the real contenders from the teams merely riding momentum, and it arrives with Cleveland still sorting through changes on offense and the effects of several roster moves. The Steelers will offer the Browns their toughest divisional test yet, and the answer could say plenty about how far this group has actually come. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Keep Falling Into The Same Trap In AFC North Losses
The Browns latest AFC North loss followed a familiar script, with a sluggish offensive start and self-inflicted mistakes helping put them in a hole against Pittsburgh. Cleveland fell 27-6 in Week 8, and even though Deshaun Watson finished with 27 completions for 324 yards, the early turnovers and a string of penalties made it tough for the offense to ever find a rhythm.
Penalties have become a recurring problem in these division games, and this one was no exception, with taunting calls among the flags that helped stall drives and swing momentum. Cleveland now has to reset quickly for its next game against the New Orleans Saints, but the bigger issue is harder to ignore: until the Browns clean up the mistakes that keep showing up in AFC North play, the results are likely to keep looking the same. [Read more 🡒]