2 winners and 3 losers from Steelers 48-37 loss vs. Browns

Winner: James Pierre

While the game was ugly from any angle you looked at it, there was a small bright spot on defense. Funnily enough, I predicted this way back in my season bold predictions piece, where I said James Pierre was going to jump Justin Layne on the depth chart. It may have taken a whole year to do so, but he finally did. Better yet, his play was respectable as an outside cornerback.

His story this year is incredible. He was an undrafted rookie cornerback for the Steelers who really impressed the team despite limited practices and places to show his skills due to COVID. He made the 53-man roster outright and has served as a special teams ace all year for the team. He excelled there, and now he has gotten a taste of defensive snaps. The Steelers may have unearthed a gem when they signed him after the draft.

On the flip side, this was clearly a downgrade for Layne, as he had been the top backup outside cornerback after Cameron Sutton this year. The Steelers clearly didn’t like what they saw this season, so choosing the rookie makes sense. It does make you wonder what his future with the team is though. Besides the point though, Pierre has seen limited defensive snaps while being an undrafted rookie for the Steelers. He should be seen as a huge draft pick up for the team.