Cleveland Browns: Grades from the bizarre defeat in Pittsburgh

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Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns punter Britton Colquitt (4) and kicker Cody Parkey (3) celebrate a field goal by Parkey against the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 27-24 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Special Teams: D

The Browns are a bit of a mess on special teams. With Mario Alford providing a spark in the return game, field position is not as much of an issue as it has been for the majority of 2016. On Sunday, the Browns actually held the Steelers to 59 total yards in their return game, an effort led by Joe Schobert.

The problem is, there is absolutely no trust in the special teams to come through when needed most. In other words, the unit is unreliable. This hinders Cleveland’s ability to play “complementary football”, as coach Jackson always preaches.

With another penalty on a kick and punt return, the group is having troubles avoiding backward movement. Also, a missed field goal by Cody Parkey kept the game tied and opened the door for Pittsburgh’s go-ahead score. As hard as it is to blame Parkey for one miss, these are the types of plays winning special teams units make.

There is no doubt the Browns will be making several moves concerning special teams this coming offseason. With the way this unit has performed this entire season, this doesn’t appear to be a problem to fans.

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