Steelers finally looked like themselves against Cleveland

After a battle of grit against the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now looking more like the team that America knows them as.

With the hard-fought victory, the Steelers now have a winning record for the first time in weeks, along with no longer being last place in the AFC North division.

In the process, they even managed to resemble what Pittsburgh is supposed to look like when considering their players and coaches; this is most namely in regards to using their physicality to win big games.

Considering where the Steelers had found themselves heading into this game (having peaked in their season opener and sitting at 0-1 in divisional play), something had to give, regardless of how talented the Browns may be on paper. And luckily, that is exactly what happened.

Now yes, Cleveland has appeared to have fallen some since their AFC run last season. However, that does not invalidate the star power on their roster, or the IQ on their sideline. This was supposed to be a tough battle, and it was.

In my opinion, the Steelers are not supposed to dominate the Browns on the scoreboard. Rather, they are supposed to merely outlast them in some old-fashioned physical football. If one of them just rolls right through the other, it dulls the intensity that goes into the historic rivalry.

Sunday, America saw a David stack up against a Goliath, and the Goliath won. But nonetheless, it was a great fight between two star-studded franchises. And the Goliath won with the powers of a dynamic offense and physical defense–two things that the Pittsburgh Steelers should never have to ask for.

As far as where things stand now, Cleveland is the new runt of the AFC North litter until further notice. Meanwhile, the Steelers have won three straight, and are looking to keep that streak alive for as long as possible. And that should not be too difficult, either.

Pittsburgh’s next two games are not only at home, but are also against the NFC North’s Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, respectively. The former is mediocre, while the latter is officially the worst team in the entire league.

Unlike with the Browns, the Steelers should not have to reach too far within themselves to beat that pair. Things will shake up when they have to visit the Chargers and Bengals, though.

Despite the absence of some players and the questionable nature of some others, it’s refreshing to see Pittsburgh finally return to performing at the level and in the fashion that they are supposed to.