Pittsburgh Steelers escape Browns in 21-18 win

It wasn’t pretty, but the Pittsburgh Steelers started their season 1-0 with 21-18 win over the Cleveland Browns.

In a game Pittsburgh should’ve ran away with early, the Steelers did what they love to do, and played to a lesser opponents level.

Typical Steelers. Against a Browns team that was clearly outmatched, Pittsburgh made sure to keep it as close as possible. Yes, they pulled off a win and started the season 1-0, but it was not a game they should be proud of.

Like always, there were bright spots. Antonio Brown was a monster, finishing with 11 receptions for 182 yards. Jesse James proved he’s ready to lead this tight end rotation with 41 yards and two touchdowns, being one of the only bright spots on this offense for most of the first half.

T.J. Watt’s regular season debut was amazing. His seven tackles, two sacks, and an interception concluded his day. Despite the defensive struggles, Watt and the rest of the defensive front were very impressive for most of the game.

When it came down to it, Cleveland put up one hell of a fight. DeShone Kizer’s touchdown pass to Corey Coleman with 3:36 left to put the Browns down 21-18 was impressive, especially for a rookie. As long as he and the rest of this young offense stays healthy, Cleveland could be one of the better up and coming teams in the AFC sooner rather than later.

Pittsburgh needs to fix some things before Week 2. Their secondary looked just as weak as last season, allowing 222 yards and a touchdown. While Ryan Shazier and the linebackers were solid in rushing the passer, finishing with seven sacks, there needs to be some changes before this unit is ready to beat better competition.

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Either way, the Steelers are 1-0. As they get ready for Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. Stay connected with Still Curtain and follow as Pittsburgh makes adjustments for next week.