The Browns walked into Acrisure Stadium with plenty to say and left with a 27-6 loss that exposed the same problems again: a sluggish offense, too many mistakes, and a team that never really settled in.
Cleveland’s start on Sunday, Nov. 1, was rough from the jump. Over its first three possessions, the Deshaun Watson-led offense produced just 14 yards on 11 plays and never reached the end zone.
Two fumbles and a punt ended those drives, with Watson losing one himself and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. losing the other. By the end of the first quarter, the Browns were already down seven, and the halftime deficit had grown to 20-6 after Pittsburgh added more pressure and Cleveland could only answer with two field goals.
Watson’s final line looked much better than the opening act. He finished with 27 completions for 324 passing yards, but the early struggle defined the night for Cleveland’s offense.
The Browns kept digging themselves into a hole before they ever found a rhythm, and that has become too familiar. If they want to give themselves a real chance to win, getting points on the board on the first drive or two has to become a priority.
The self-inflicted damage was just as costly. Cleveland was flagged for 80 yards in penalties by the end of the game, a brutal number in any setting and even worse in a road rivalry game with a loud crowd working against you.
Heading into Week 8, the Browns had already piled up 63 penalties through seven games, an average of nine per game. Pre-snap issues have been part of it, but the bigger picture is a team that has been sloppy across the board.
There were also taunting penalties mixed in, which stood out even more because they came while Cleveland was already trailing by multiple scores. If the Browns are going to talk the talk, they better be able to walk the walk.
The emotion never really got under control, and the game felt messy from start to finish. Jared Verse, one of the Browns' leaders on the defensive side of the ball, again came up short after spending the week talking smack to the Steelers.
Cleveland now turns the page quickly. The Browns are back in action on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1:00 p.m. EST against the Saints at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
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 Inactive List Just Clarified Clevelands QB Plan Vs Steelers
The Browns quarterback setup for Sunday against the Steelers became clearer once the inactive list came out, and it pointed to a straightforward game-day plan. Cleveland kept Dillon Gabriel inactive as the third quarterback, while Shedeur Sanders moved into the backup role behind the starter, giving the team a more defined depth chart for a divisional matchup that always carries extra weight.
Cleveland also had right tackle Tytus Howard and cornerback Myles Harden available, which helped settle two other roster questions heading into kickoff. Pittsburghs inactive list offered its own update, with wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson both on injured reserve and Brandon Smith elevated from the practice squad, adding another layer to a game where both teams had to manage their available pieces carefully. [Read more 🡒]