3 things we learned from Steelers win against the Cleveland Browns

The Steelers played inspired football against the Cleveland Browns to keep playoff hopes alive

It goes without saying that the Steelers win against the Cleveland Browns was significant not only from the standpoint that had we lost, we would have been eliminated from playoff contention, but also from the standpoint of its significance for Ben Roethlisberger.

In what could have been the final home game of his career, ‘Big Ben’ seemingly willed the Steelers to victory.  It wasn’t a great statistical night for ‘Big Ben’, but everyone knew what was at stake.  The running game finally came alive, the defense played the style of football we have been accustomed to seeing and the result was not only a win but a win that keeps our slim playoff hopes alive.

Let’s take a look at what we learned from the win against the Browns.

The Steelers running game set the tone on offense

According to ESPN, the Steelers offense amassed one-hundred and ninety net yards on the ground.  Leading the way was Najee Harris, who gained one-hundred and eighty-eight yards on twenty-eight carries and added a rushing TD.

Think about that for a second.  While the Steelers are still ranked near the bottom of the league, twenty-eighth to be exact, in average rushing yards per game with ninety-four, we were able to essentially pound the Browns into submission late in the game.

Frankly, it was refreshing for me to see us run between the tackles and run the ‘inside zone-split’ we have run for decades with the TE coming across the formation to seal off the backside pursuit.  I don’t know about you but we are a much better running team when we run between the tackles.

Kudos to the offensive line as the Steelers were able to double the average rush yards per game against the Browns.  It’s no secret that we are able to run the ball effectively, the outcome is generally a victory.

Let’s see what else we learned.