Wow, that was an ugly game for the Steelers. Basically, everything that fans feared going up against a weak Browns team came to light. Pittsburgh looked unprepared and was just ready for a ten-day off period between now and their next game. Each season, Pittsburgh hopes that the black and gold can overcome their hurdles against inferior opponents, but that is never the case.
Mike Tomlin refuses to have his team ready for Thursday Night matchups, especially on the road. They have a cruel record when they have to play on the road for a Thursday night battle. That is a trend and something that should be highlighted against Tomlin.
Despite the Steelers still sitting at a respectable 8-3 record, they continue to show why they might be pretenders rather than contenders.
Steelers offense report card grade: D-
Things are starting to become a problem for the Steeler's offense. Russell Wilson might have put up respectable numbers in this game, but he continues to play poorly when you dig into it. He truly hasn't played well in the past three or four weeks. The types of sacks he takes are something that is hindering Pittsburgh. That is what forced Chris Boswell into a bad field goal attempt that he missed early in the game.
None of the receivers stood out for the black and gold besides Calvin Austin III. Mike Williams has been a ghost since his touchdown, and the offensive line struggled to protect against Myles Garrett. Their lack of adjustment in the first half was terrible. Only scoring 19 points in a game will make any win in the NFL difficult. Only scoring 3 points in a single half is something that has become a massive issue.
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Steelers defense report card grade: C-
It is hard to put all the blame on the Steelers defense for this loss. Make no mistake about it though, they deserve a lot of the blame too. Many around the league call them elite, but they fail to prove they are in vital moments for Pittsburgh. When it comes down to the final minutes of games and they need a stop, their defense has been up and down when it comes to persevering in those moments.
They were able to play better in the second half, but they still allowed a struggling Browns offense to get 24 points in the game. They know that is nearly insurmountable with how their offense is playing right now. T.J. Watt needs to have some blame here too. Garrett called him out before the contest, and he didn't have the same level of impact that Garrett did. Watt needs to be better going forward.
Steelers special teams report card grade: C-
Not much blame that can go around for the Steelers special teams, and Boswell did well under the circumstances. He missed the 58-yard field goal, but it was ridiculous of Tomlin to truly believe he had a shot at making that attempt in those conditions. Luckily, Boswell didn't allow that to get into his head and sunk his other two attempts despite the tough environment to kick field goals.
Something also needs to be stated about Cordarrelle Patterson as a kick returner. He was brought in to make an impact there, and he hasn't had one quality return this season. Jaylen Warren has produced better returns to this point in the schedule. Corliss Waitman only had one punt, but it was not good. He will probably bounce back, but there are other worries than special teams.