I am completely shocked! The Steelers had yet another ugly game, and instead of pulling out an ugly win, they had an ugly loss instead. Sarcasm aside, Pittsburgh had another pitiful performance against a hapless Browns team. It seems like it can’t get any worse, but here we are once again.
This team is rightfully full of losers. While I did find two winners from this disaster, the entire team is essentially a loser. I get that Cleveland is a divisional rival, but being unable to overcome a rookie quarterback who was schooled against the Ravens is pathetic. Here are the two winners and four losers from the Week 11 loss.
Steelers Winners
Jaylen Warren
The only true winner on this list (the second one is more of a consolation), Jaylen Warren was the only effective offensive player. Frankly, he is the only reason this team moved the ball and ultimately scored, off a long run by him. The line is still hot and cold as a unit, but Warren always seems to run hard and make a big play.
While Najee Harris has the pedigree, Warren is the better fit for this offense right now. He is more versatile, has a bit more speed, and can create more on his own. Yes, both should continue to see snaps, but Warren deserves to be the primary back for this team going forward.
Elandon Roberts
The linebacker room was a key talking point given the season-ending injuries in back-to-back weeks. While the unit did fine today, Elandon Roberts really shined. He played the run hard and provided a vocal leader for this defense on an otherwise quiet day.
Steelers Losers
Dan Moore
What an ugly game from a player who had stacked some solid performances in recent weeks. Dan Moore had a tall task this week, but Myles Garrett schooled Moore from the first snap. With two sacks and constant pressure, it was a poor showing from the line as a whole, and Moore was easily the worst offender.
Kenny Pickett
I can’t imagine what defenders of Kenny Pickett will come up with this week to justify another pathetic showing. He played about as well as his rookie counterpart (that is, not well at all) and continues to limit this offense. He isn’t the only problem, but Pickett is shifting towards bust every day, and I’m ready to look elsewhere as early as this offseason.
Steelers Coaches
In what has become a regular trend, this coaching staff was once again outcoached. While Cleveland boasts a great defense, their offense was in shreds and played as such. That didn’t stop the Steelers coming up with their usual conservative game plan that was easily predictable for the Browns.
The Steelers' offense wanted to do just enough to hold off the Browns despite there being blood in the water. The defense didn’t start jamming the offensive line until the second half. The focus and game plan were lacking once again for this team.
Steelers Fans
Inspired by a mid-game call with my father (shout out to Dan Falce), you really have to wonder what the state of this franchise is. This team has been built to do just enough to win games close and no longer dominate. A once proud franchise is now focused on having “winning seasons” at the cost of long-term growth.
Something needs to give. I know what I would do to get this team back on track, but I can’t see the team following suit. The standard has fallen so far for this team, and I hope that they get themselves back on track sooner rather than later.
It was another abysmal day for the Steelers, as they failed to beat a lackluster Cleveland team. While Pittsburgh is still in the hunt, this loss is certainly a blow to their odds. The team should feel a lot like losers right now given their struggles this week.