Thursday became a rough day for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only did Omar Khan send Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys less than 24 hours before Thursday Night Football, but Mike McCarthy’s squad was also outperformed in a 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Patrick Graham’s secondary struggled immensely. And Deshaun Watson took full advantage.
He would’ve been foolish not to make the most of the opportunity. Cleveland’s opening drive ended with a punt, but things eventually began to click. Denzel Boston’s contributions became a catalyst for a disastrous evening. The rookie caught three passes for 74 yards on five targets before halftime.
He destroyed opposing matchups. It only forced fans to reminisce about Joey Porter Jr’s lockdown abilities. Cleveland’s quarterback finished the first half with 181 passing yards and only three incompletions.
Watson led the Browns to three consecutive scoring drives in the second quarter. The explosion gave Todd Monken’s squad a 21-10 lead before halftime. It also created a gaping hole for Aaron Rodgers to climb out of. It's hard not to wonder if this game would have been
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense made Deshaun Watson look like a superstar during Thursday Night Football
Usually, Pittsburgh’s defense stands firm so the offense can attempt a comeback. But that wasn’t the story Thursday night. While the Cleveland offense succeeded, the Steelers failed to find their footing. An impressive opening drive ended with a 12-yard Roman Wilson touchdown reception. But after that, it was silent until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Receivers failed to find separation against the Browns' man coverage. It caused Rodgers to hold onto the football, resulting in five sacks. Pittsburgh’s drives stalled before they could respond to Watson’s breakout. Luckily, Rodgers mustered enough magic to tie the game with a quarterback sneak with less than two minutes on the game clock.
Before the final whistle, Watson accounted for 24 completions on 32 passing attempts. His 268 passing yards averaged 8.4 yards per reception, stretching Pittsburgh's secondary thin. And it only became harder for Pittsburgh to defend.
Jamel Dean (ankle) left the game with an injury. It only made watching harder to bear.
Sure, Graham’s defense made a final effort to help McCarthy earn another win. T.J. Watt forced a fumble, and later Nick Herbig’s tipped ball resulted in an interception. But it wasn’t enough to escape defeat.
The brutal beating was a stark reminder that Pittsburgh has work to do. Especially after losing their best defender, Porter Jr., Graham’s unit failed to fend off a determined Deshaun Watson and his receiving core. And with Jamel Dean’s injury, the Steelers secondary is in dangerous territory.
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