CLEVELAND -- Look, this loss was lousy enough on a lot of levels that not even all the lakefront snow that landed on this corner of Ohio could cover it up.
Although it sure tried:
GETTY
Chris Boswell kicks a field in the third quarter Thursday night in Cleveland.
Wow, right?
It was among the most striking settings for football I've seen in a lifetime around the sport. Like a sentient snowglobe.
And for those who'd recall a similar scene a couple decades ago back home, it was like Jerome Bettis was about to burst off the sideline and bury poor Brian Urlacher all over again:
Bettis. Urlacher. You know the restβ¦
β Steelers History (@SteelersHistory) February 16, 2024
π₯ https://t.co/NrdiYQkuZ9 pic.twitter.com/ayYSwabffS
But yeah, no. That was then, with Hall of Famer Alan Faneca and a bullish line helping to drive the Bus, and this is now.
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In the now, somewhere beneath all that whirling whiteness, the Steelers were somehow beaten by the eternally bottom-feeding Browns, 24-19, Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field, this despite entering 8-2 to their opponents' opposite record, this despite overcoming both the elements and a two-score deficit in the fourth quarter to take a one-point lead with 6:15 to go, and this despite -- most relevant, I'd say -- being built offensively on a ground game that's supposed to be getting better each week.
It isn't.
And if I'm being blunt, that blame belong far more on the line than on Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren or, for that matter, anyone in the Steelers' orbit.
Know how I know?
I asked them afterward -- all five starters, all one-on-one -- what'd just happened and, specifically, how two third-and-1 situations, a fourth-and-1 and a fourth-and-2 produced, in order, a false start, a 2-yard loss, a 1-yard loss and a zero gain:
Dan Moore: "Critical situations like that, we've got to be better. I put that on us."
Zach Frazier: "Yeah, we have to be a lot better, across the board, and that starts with me. Short yardage, red zone, scoring touchdowns, that's on us."
Mason McCormick: "I've got to look at the film to see what all happened. But obviously, those are crucial downs. Big plays. Big turning points. It sucks that they didn't go our way."
Broderick Jones: "It starts with us up front. When you're talking about fourth-and-1, fourth-and-2, third-and short, that's the O-line."
Isaac Seumalo: "It always seems like it's one thing, one person -- myself included in that -- and it's not enough. It's a we thing. Always is. But the first thing we've gotta do is look at ourselves in the mirror. Kudos to the Browns. They made a lot of plays. They beat us. But we've gotta be better. And again, that's myself included."
Love the accountability. Hate the trend.
Because it's not just about the Steelers' 34 total rushes here resulting in 130 yards, a 3.5 average carry. It's not just about the four sacks of Russell Wilson, one of which caused a lost fumble. It's not just about the Browns' nine quarterback hits, several of which packed quite the punch. It's not just about the -- sit down for this one -- 11 tackles for a loss, accounting for 23% of all of their tackles.
Nope, it's about how this broader process is ... well, it's not outright regressing, but it's taking an occasional stride forward, then one or two backward.
The short-yardage flops I cited above, other than Darnell Washington's false start:
β DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPSmedia) November 22, 2024
Moore makes no human contact.
β DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPSmedia) November 22, 2024
Moore makes some contact on this one. Almost everyone else gets shoved backward.
β DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPSmedia) November 22, 2024
Frazier's blown off the ball. Disrupts everything. But just in case it hadn't, MyCole Pruitt, the tight end sent onto the field only to block, does nothing of the kind. It's all so bad that it's a minor miracle Justin Fields wasn't brought down by one of his own guys.
Anyone really require elaboration on these?
Hm. Maybe.
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This outcome's going to get picked apart so much it'll get gutted. I've no doubt about that.
Most of it'll be aimed at Mike Tomlin's legit curious calls, clock management and so forth. That'll be richly deserved. I'll stand in that line myself.
Some of it'll be aimed at the defense, which, as if to create the starkest conceivable contrast with the offense, allowed the Browns to convert all four fourth-down plays of their own.
And some of it'll be silliness, of course. Not being able to win on Thursdays, for example, a theory so absurd I can't believe I just typed it onto my screen. Not being able to get up for subpar opponents, as if this were about some nebulous lack of focus or effort. The weather, as if that wouldn't impact each side equally. The referees, because, you know, they really hate us.
Me, I'm into causes, way more than single-game symptoms. I'm into weighing where this team still stands within the AFC North, within the conference, and wondering what it'll take to advance. I'm into identifying a real, recurring problem that's rocketed to No. 1 on my list, and it's moved up only because I've at times to been naive enough to believe it's on some sort of ascent.
Once more: It isn't.
There are three ways I can see addressing this, two of which won't be tried:
β’ Change personnel.
No, I don't know who'd replace whom, primarily because I'm not a figurative fly on the wall for practice-squad analysis, but at least think about what Ryan McCollum, Spencer Anderson and/or Dylan Cook could offer. It's no fun being the one to point out that the Steelers' three most dynamic rushing performances, for example, came with McCollum replacing Frazier. That's not a swap I'd make now, but I'd remind everyone that McCollum was tested with some reps at guard in Latrobe.
Whatever. This won't be tried.
β’ Stop being stupid about this.
The best coaches don't coach to the players they wish they had but, rather, the ones they actually have. There's been nothing more maddening about this offense through 2024 than Arthur Smith -- and by extension, Tomlin -- pretending they've got a line that can block on every single first-and-10 and almost every single second-and-long that ensues.
It's insanity, but it's also incessant.
Coach the offense as if the line's precisely what it's shown itself to be. Don't let Wilson roll all over the backfield, dragging out plays and thus daring defenses to take him down, not when it's simpler and safer to snap and fire. Preferably to a tight end. Preferably with enough efficiency that all eight or nine of those defenders in the box are forced to back off at least a little. Preferably with so much less predictability on first and second downs.
This doesn't need to be some macho/manhood contest, and not every plan has to be based around the '15-round fight' Harris always brings up. It doesn't have to be all about wearing everyone out. It doesn't have be about what's on brand. It's OK to be semi-decent through the first three quarters, too.
Recognize a team shortcoming and adjust.
Or don't. This won't be tried, either.
β’ Do what the players are suggesting.
Meaning the linemen themselves.
"We've just got to better," as Jones told me after I'd thought we were done, because he clearly wanted to be heard on this. "We just need to execute like we know how to do. We have the people. We just need to play our brand of football, and we'll be all right."
Anyone up for trying Try that?
β’ Chris Halicke's Chalk Talk breaks down Tomlin's many miscues.
β’ Greg Macafee's Spotlight shines on the quarterbacks' splits.
β’ Much more from all three of us in our Steelers Feed.
β’ Thanks for reading our football coverage.
β’ And for listening:
