Postseason scenarios can be complicated. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 17 couldn’t have been any simpler. Beat the Cleveland Browns, and the AFC North crown was theirs. No calculators. No scoreboard watching. Just win. For a team that has sputtered its way through stretches of the season, Sunday felt less like an opportunity and more like a lifeline — a rare 'get out of jail free' card in a league that offers very few.
And standing in the way was a rookie quarterback making one of the biggest starts of his young career: Cleveland Browns signal-caller Shedeur Sanders.
The blueprint felt obvious. Rattle the rookie. Strip him of confidence. Let the moment overwhelm him. That’s been the forte of Pittsburgh’s defense for decades, from the Steel Curtain days to the modern era under Mike Tomlin. We’ve seen it time and time again — young quarterbacks coming into Acrisure Stadium and leaving shell-shocked.
Unfortunately, that script never materialized.
From the opening series, it was almost as if Sanders couldn’t care less about the extra weight attached to Sunday’s matchup. The divisional stakes, the playoff implications, the roaring crowd — none of it seemed to faze him. He stood tall against the same defense that tamed the Detroit Lions just a week earlier and played with a calm well beyond his experience.
Shedeur Sanders defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of Week 17
Sanders opened the game, completing 12 of his first 17 passes for 164 yards, carving up Pittsburgh’s secondary and helping Cleveland jump out to a commanding 10–0 lead early in the second quarter. The highlight was a 28-yard touchdown strike that came not from busted coverage, but from patience in the pocket and trust in his arm. That’s what made it sting.
Yes, there was a mistake. A costly interception courtesy of an outstanding pass rush from Alex Highsmith, with Jack Sawyer coming down with the pick. It was timely, the kind of momentum-shifting play Pittsburgh has relied on for years. But even that moment felt hollow. The damage had already been done, and the Steelers failed — once again — to capitalize.
That’s what made the entire first half so frustrating. Regardless of Sanders’ confidence, he is still a rookie. He still lacks experience in games of this magnitude. Apparently, so did Pittsburgh’s defense. Cleveland converted 3-of-6 third downs with Sanders under center in the first half, often in manageable situations that kept the Browns ahead of the chains. The Steelers didn’t disguise, didn’t confuse, and didn’t punish the beginner gunslinger. Instead, they opened the door and invited him to get comfortable.
Watching Sanders pick apart Pittsburgh's defense wasn’t frustrating because I wanted him to fail. It wasn’t about wishing he wore black and gold instead of brown and orange. It was frustrating because it confirmed what Steelers fans already know.
This team isn’t starving for a playoff berth. Not like it should be.
And as painful as it is to admit, Shedeur Sanders may very well be the real deal.