4 takeaways from Steelers 22-24 loss against the Browns

Passing down the field is the key

Mason Rudolph may have missed on a number of passes down the field, but it’s clear that opening up the offense was helping everything else in this game. While 22 offensive points are nothing to write home about, the Steelers were very close to connecting on a number of huge plays down the field. Moving forward into the playoffs, Pittsburgh must continue to attack defenses down the field.

By doing so against the Browns, the Steelers were able to manage a respectable 4.3 yards per carry on the ground. Routinely taking shots down the field will keep a defense on it’s heals, and if they are willing to be aggressive and play at the line of scrimmage, Pittsburgh must find a way to make them pay for trying to take away the short passing game.

In addition, Chase Claypool has been one of the better deep ball receivers in the league. Assuming a few more of these passes down the field were a little more accurate by Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh could have had a much better scoring output in this contest. The fact that the Steelers were looking down the field so often was encouraging, and they must do the same with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm during the playoffs if they want to make a legitimate run this year.