5 Studs and duds from Cleveland Browns loss to Steelers in Week 6
By Greg Newland
Sunday was a reality check for the Cleveland Browns roster
After the Cleveland Browns ripped off four straight wins, the team laid an egg on Sunday vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fans didn’t necessarily expect the Browns to go to Pittsburgh and win a tough division game, but they also didn’t expect to be down 10 points in the first four minutes of the game. Things got out of control early and never seemed got better in the beat down on Sunday.
After a few strong series by the defense to begin the game, they quickly folded, and the Steelers began running and throwing at will. Not only was Ben Roethlisberger hitting the quick stuff, but the secondary also had no response for the deep ball either. Not to mention James Connor was able to get five yards every time he touched the ball.
The defense had lived off turnovers the last four wins, and most knew that would be tough to count on week in and week out. Pittsburgh’s offensive line who was missing all-pro guard, David DeCastro, didn’t miss a beat and gave Big Ben plenty of time to complete passes.
What’s worse than your defense having a tough day? When your offense and defense both struggle at the same time. Fans knew Baker Mayfield wasn’t 100 percent healthy coming into the game, but no one expected him to look so rattled.
For longtime Browns fans, it’s hard to say this outcome was a surprise. While it did feel like the organization had finally turned the ship, the last four wins were all against teams that appear to be in the back half of the league.
This one was tough to watch and there wasn’t a lot to be excited about, but here are the studs and duds from a week six-beat down vs. the Steelers. Spoiler alert, there weren’t too many studs from this Sunday’s performance.