For the first time in decades, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers met this late in the season for the top spot in the AFC North.
Unfortunately, Todd Monken's team wasn't up for the challenge. Not even close.
Mike McCarthy's team made major adjustments and made a statement in this one, reclaiming the No. 1 spot in the division and leaving the Browns with more questions than answers following a 27-6 win they controlled throughout.
This was a much-needed wake-up call for a Browns team that may have already been playing with house money. Considering that, let's dive into our top takeaways from this humbling setback on the road.
Cleveland's ugly loss to Pittsburgh exposed some uncomfortable Browns realities
The Browns were more focused on talking than playing
As usual, Browns and Steelers players exchanged jabs before and during the game. The Browns, however, may have let the rivalry get into their heads, as they talked the talk but couldn't walk the walk in this one. They were called for taunting twice while down 21 points. C'mon.
It's OK to talk smack. You even want that in a divisional rivalry game. That said, you have to be smart and know better than that. The Browns let the Steelers get in their heads, and they were never even slightly in control.
Deshaun Watson is holding this team back
Who would say that winning games with late-game heroics wasn't sustainable? Deshaun Watson has been great in the fourth quarter more often than not this season, but you have to play well the entire game to get the job done.
Watson stared down his receivers time and time again against the Steelers, and he got away with multiple near-misses that could've been intercepted. This loss wasn't entirely on him, but he couldn't make anything happen, even when given a clean pocket.
The Browns lost the battle in the trenches
Mike Rutenberg will want to burn the game tape. His defense got completely worked on the ground, with Jaylen Warren looking like prime Adrian Peterson and the Steelers' offensive line manhandling its way down the field.
The offensive line wasn't much better, though. While Watson's indecisiveness didn't help them set the pocket, they constantly got beaten, especially along the interior. This game came down to dominating the trenches, and the Steelers out-hustled and outworked the Browns on both sides of the field.
Harold Fannin Jr. is ridiculously good
Even with another fumble lost, Harold Fannin Jr. proved to be a superstar in the making. He had a career-best 154 receiving yards on 10 receptions and 12 targets, and he has to be one of the featured guys in the offense week in and week out.
The Browns have too many playmakers, so it's hard to get everyone as many touches as they should get. But Fannin is the team's yards-after-the-catch machine and most reliable pass catcher. He's up to 245 receiving yards in the past two games alone.
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