Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 things we learned in win over Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Browns Sunday, and had a solid win despite several mistakes. They kept the AFC North lead with a 33-18 win.

In Pittsburgh, the game began with a moment for the city to come together in light of the recent tragedy. Social media is peppered with the famous Steelers logo, altered so the gold star is now a star of David. In a city and part of the country so united by a football team, and a football team so tied to that city’s character and history and spirit, the game felt like not just a forum for football but to reaffirm the togetherness and solidarity of a blue collar community whose capital is Pittsburgh but who is stretched far and wide.

The Steelers lived up to the moment and in a followup to the week 1 tie to the Browns displayed how much they’ve improved on both sides of the ball. Though falling behind early by 6, they commanded the game throughout in a much more dominant fashion than the scoreboard implied. When the game was over, the Steelers remained atop the AFC North with a 33-18 win.

Here’s what we learned.

James Conner! James Conner! James Conner!

I’ve had James Conner on this list for weeks and personally, I never get tired of it. Conner had 146 rushing yards in the game and 2 touchdowns. He added another 66 yards receiving. Conner’s toughness has never been in doubt. Just watch defensive backs dive for his legs because they don’t want any part of his shoulders. But his vision, blocking, and receiving skills show he’s more than a bruiser but a true every-down NFL starter.

James Conner is currently 3rd in the league in rushing yards. Only Gurley and Elliot outpace him at this point. We’re beyond being surprised by Conner. We’re past doubting his skills. If you play the pass, Conner will punish you and is capable of winning the game on the ground. His development probably deserves most of the credit for salvaging this offense from what it could have been at the start of the season.