As expected, the NFL world had plenty of reactions to the Cleveland Browns dropping their Week 17 game to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was obvious from the beginning that the Steelers looked fresher and more motivated to win this game for Ben Roethlisberger and to keep their slim playoff hopes afloat until Week 18.
Here are some noteworthy reactions.
1. The James Hudson Vs. T.J. Watt Mismatch
The battle between rookie James Hudson and potential DPOY T.J. Watt was one-sided.
Why the Browns did not make adjustments to help out Hudson is a mystery because no one expected this matchup to go well for the Browns.
After the game, Baker Mayfield talked about Watt’s impact on the game.
“Obviously their front’s pretty good, has been for years. But when you’ve got T.J. Watt over there and we’re not giving our rookie tackle a whole lotta help, it’s not going to be good for us.’’
2. Jadeveon Clowney
The shoe-throwing incident was an egregious error.
Perhaps Clowney was frustrated and caught up in the moment, but it still should not have happened.
There were plenty of reactions to the shoe-throwing play.
Some fans, trying to find a silver lining in a game that lacked one, compared Clowney’s throwing arm to Mayfield’s.
Conclusion
The best part of this game was when it was over.
It moved so slowly, and the Browns offense was so inept.
Though this Tweet was posted on Sunday after the Browns were officially eliminated from the playoffs, it still tells the tale of 2021 including the Week 17 Pittsburgh loss.
This team’s shortcomings were on display Monday night for a national television audience.
The Steelers deserved to win the game, and the Bengals deserve to be the AFC North Champions.
Unfortunately, the Browns deserve an offseason of disarray after the way this team and coaching staff performed this season.
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