Pittsburgh was embarrassed in their first playoff game since 2017. Here are the winners and losers from the Steelers loss to the Browns.
The Steelers could be at the end of an ear as they gift-wrapped a playoff win to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night. The game started rough, and while the team tried to bounce back, it was all for not. While the loss was certainly a tough pill to swallow, there were a few bright spots that should be noted. That said, there are unsurprisingly more losers on this list, as the Steelers suffered their worst home loss in a long time. Here are the two winners and three losers from their 48-37 loss.
Loser: The Offense
While there were certainly bright spots on the offense (more on them below), the first quarter completely killed this team. The erred snap along with the pathetic attempt to fall on the football allowed for the Browns to go up early. Throw in the multiple interceptions and suddenly this team found themselves down by 28 points in only the first quarter. It didn’t matter how well the team played afterward; they had already sufficiently shot themselves in the foot.
Throw in some lackluster play calling (again, more on that below) and a running game that was never even looked at due to the early deficit, and you have a group that aids in ending the season. Despite his gaudy stats, Ben Roethlisberger had a bad game overall. The worst of the unit was Maurkice Pouncy, who had the bad snaps and was only ok as a blocker. This unit failed this week despite putting up 37 points.
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.
Loser: The Defense
Let’s keep this train rolling with the defense on the losers list. Yes, they were put into quite a few unfavorable positions early in the game due to turnovers but giving up 47 points is inexcusable in the playoffs. The group needed to force some big plays if a comeback was to incur, but that never happened. Instead, this group crumbled and became a liability for the Steelers.
Had this been a normal defense, this narrative would be different, but they were arguably the top unit entering into the playoffs, and they played poorly. Part of this was due to the offense, but they aren’t solely at fault. As well, part of it was on coaching, as linebackers were tasked with covering receivers at points on the day. But again, that isn’t the whole story. This unit seemed out of sync and ill-prepared for the dynamic Browns offense.
To that point, tackling was an issue at times, but the biggest issue was the pass rush. Despite the Browns being down multiple starters and having beat this offensive line before, the Steelers struggled to generate any sort of a pass rush. This allowed Baker Mayfield the time to pick this defense apart. Throw in the average play elsewhere, and this good defense severely underperformed this week.
Winner: The Receivers
While JuJu Smith-Schuster was at the center of attention again this week, his play was not the reason for the loss on Sunday. In fact, the entire core of receivers played well this week, and even with the questions the team has at the position going forward, this group has a bright future. While it wasn’t enough to get the comeback, unfortunately, this group certainly did their part in trying to win this game.
Smith-Schuster had his best game of the season, logging 157 receiving yards and a score. Diontae Johnson was once again a top target for the team as he added 117 receiving yards on the day, and both James Washington and Chase Claypool were critical to this team’s success. At least three-quarters of that group will be returning next year for the Steelers, meaning that even if this offense takes a step back in other places, should still find some success through the air.
The loss is still a tough pill to swallow but look on the bright side of things for the Steelers. They have a deep, young, and talented group of receivers that will make a potential transition at quarterback next season bearable. Johnson has done a good job of rebounding after a tough stretch of games, Claypool looks like a potentially elite receiver, and Washington is a sturdy option on the outside as well. If the team finds a way to retain Smith-Schuster that is even better, but regardless this group will be a strength of the team moving forward.
Losers: The Coaching
To be fair, it is almost impossible to overcome a 28-point deficit after only a quarter of play, but even with the Steelers surging as the game went on, there were plenty of questionable coaching decisions for the game. Starting with everyone’s favorite Randy Fichtner, his offense in the first quarter looked every bit as conservative and stale as it did when the team was backsliding late in the season. He is clearly an issue as an offensive coordinator, and no matter what happens with Roethlisberger, he needs to be replaced.
As for the defense, Dick Butler has had a weird stretch of games where linebackers end up covering receivers. Don’t blame T.J. Watt or Robert Spillane for getting burned by a slot receiver, as that is a horrible mismatch that makes it hard for them to succeed. Add in the defense’s inability to stop the Browns and you have easily Butler’s worst game of the season.
Finally, Mike Tomlin also deserves some criticism. This team came in with a safe game plan despite playing a dangerous opponent. It ended up biting them and causing them to lose the game. Will every one of these coaches be fired? No, and they all don’t deserve to be. That said, Fichtner in particular needs to be on a new team next year while Tomlin needs to make sure this team is playing a more aggressive and modern style of offense. As for Butler, his job should be safe, but it will be interesting to see how well this defense does after it loses some considerable talent in the offseason.
Despite the Steelers starting the season 11-0, they ended their season on a brutal 1-5 run. Changes will be coming this offseason, although it will certainly be up to Roethlisberger as to how severe those changes will end up being. This game was tough to watch, and one that will hurt us as fans for a while. That doesn’t mean we should give up on the team. The Steelers need to learn from this loss and come out hungry next year.