Slow Start Costs Steelers in Loss to Browns
On a cold, snowy night in Cleveland, Coach Mike Tomlin felt the Steelers took too long to get into the game, ultimately costing them a 24-19 loss to the Browns in the final minute.
The Browns held an 18-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, but the Steelers responded with a three-yard touchdown run from Jaylen Warren and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Calvin Austin III, briefly taking a 19-18 lead with 6:20 left in the game.
However, that lead was short-lived as the Browns quickly regained the advantage, scoring with just a minute remaining. The Steelers’ final drive came up empty, sealing their defeat.
“First off, I want to give credit to the Cleveland Browns,” Coach Tomlin said after the game. “They played a hard-fought game and made more plays than we did over the course of 60 minutes.”
“We obviously have to own our part of it. Early on, we took too long to get going. We had some pre-snap penalties and weren’t sharp. We did start to play better and fought hard, but it wasn’t enough to get the win.”
“It’s painful, but that’s part of the business,” he continued. “We’ll review the tape, learn from it, and move on. We’re in the middle of a tough AFC North stretch, so there’s no time to rest. We’ve got another big one ahead.”
Tomlin again praised the Browns for their fast start. “They came out strong, and it took us too long to adjust to the action.”
Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked four times during the game, with three of those sacks coming in the first half. One sack ended the opening drive, forcing Chris Boswell to attempt a 58-yard field goal that missed wide right. Another sack resulted in a strip fumble recovered by the Browns.
“That’s exactly what I mean when I say we didn’t warm up fast enough,” Tomlin said. “The Browns came at us hard right away. We eventually settled down and got more competitive, but we dug ourselves into a hole early, particularly in the first half.”
Steelers Focused on Moving Forward After Tough Loss to Browns
There was disappointment following the Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, a game the Steelers believed they could have won.
“We should have won that game,” said quarterback Russell Wilson. “We fought hard, gave it our all, and it was a tough environment. We really wanted to win, but we fell short.”
Despite the setback, Wilson is confident the loss won’t linger or affect the team’s outlook moving forward. With a record of 8-3, the Steelers remain in first place in the AFC North, and next week they will hit the road for another crucial AFC North matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
As the team’s offensive captain, Wilson has no doubts that the Steelers will quickly move past this defeat and focus on the next challenge.
“After a short week like this, with a tough game on Sunday and then a Thursday night game, it’s important to reset,” Wilson continued. “We need to give our bodies time to recover, mentally recharge, and get ready for the stretch run.”
“What’s great about this team is we have the guys to do it. We have the mentality, the edge, and the resilience to bounce back. You saw that in the fourth quarter, the energy we brought when it mattered most.”
“In football, not every game will go your way, but as long as we fight every day and give ourselves the best chance, we can hold our heads high. I think we did that tonight.”
While Wilson has faced AFC North teams throughout his career, the last two weeks have been his first experiences playing within the division. With the AFC North now being featured in HBO Max’s Hard Knocks, the stakes are rising.
But Wilson insists the focus remains on the team’s approach and their mentality.
“Football is football,” Wilson said. “I’ve played a lot of it in my career, and it’s not about the division—it’s about the moment and the team we have. The most important thing is that we focus on each other.”
“The best part about our team is that we won’t change. Our work ethic, our approach—it’s all about putting in the work. We have great leadership, strong competitors, and we don’t blink when it matters. This is going to be a great story to tell, and we’re ready for it.”
Steelers Defense Stifles Run, But Missed Opportunities Lead to Loss
The Steelers’ defense had its weekly goal: stop the run—and they succeeded in that mission against the Browns on Thursday night. Cleveland was limited to just 85 yards rushing, with star running back Nick Chubb managing only 59 yards on 20 carries.
However, Chubb made those carries count, scoring two short touchdowns, while quarterback Jameis Winston added a two-yard rushing touchdown of his own.
The Steelers’ defense started strong, shutting down the Browns’ first two drives before Chubb’s first touchdown run in the second quarter.
“Defensively, I thought we had some good three-and-outs early on,” said defensive tackle Cameron Heyward. “We were trading possessions, and it became a game of field position. There were times we just didn’t capitalize or couldn’t get off the field when we needed to.”
“At halftime, we were down 10-3. We had a chance to get the ball back after a fumble but couldn’t make a play. It was a lot of hit or miss on certain moments,” Heyward added.
Despite heading into the game on a five-game winning streak, the Steelers couldn’t extend their lead in the AFC North, falling short in a game full of missed opportunities.
“Missed opportunities,” Heyward said. “We have to own that. They made the plays at the end. Some of the things that happened are hard to understand, but we just have to take it and move on.”
“I know everyone’s frustrated with the loss, but the key is to learn from it and be better next time.”
The focus now for the Steelers is to take what they can from this defeat, put it behind them, and prepare for next Sunday’s AFC North showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals, who will be coming off their bye week.
“Every game has adversity, and we didn’t overcome it this time,” said Heyward. “You can learn from both wins and losses. There was adversity on both sides tonight, and we just didn’t make the plays when it mattered most.”
“It doesn’t change how we prepare,” he continued. “If you’re only learning from losses and not your wins, that’s a problem. Every game can humble you, and there’s something to be learned from every experience.”
Leave a Reply