Steelers coach Mike Tomlin blasts Browns GM Andrew Berry after blowout victory

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has always been one to make his thoughts known.

The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-9 on Sunday in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated. 

When meeting with reporters in Pittsburgh on Monday, Tomlin let his thoughts be known on the current state of the Browns.

“Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area,” Tomlin said. “But that’s just my personal feelings.”

Prior to facing the Steelers, the Browns traded team captain Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals for a fifth-round pick. On Wednesday night ahead of facing Pittsburgh, Berry kept the trades coming, sending starting cornerback Greg Newsome II to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, several sources around the NFL believed the Flacco trade marked the Browns waving the white flag on the season. It certainly sounds like Tomlin agrees with that reporting.

Trading Flacco paved the way for the Browns to get a look at third-round pick Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. Through two starts, he’s underwhelmed as Cleveland’s offense continues to sputter without any direction.

Stefanski admitted that he was surprised that Cincinnati called the Browns to trade for Flacco. Berry sent a sixth-round draft pick and his Week 1 starting quarterback on a three and a half hour drive down south, where Flacco would immediately take over the reins for the struggling Bengals.

The Bengals were desperate, as Jake Browning flailed in relief of Joe Burrow, who is expected to be sidelined until December with a toe injury. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor desperately needed a quarterback to keep the team afloat until Burrow is healthy.

Flacco played his best game of the season during his debut with the Bengals in Green Bay against the Packers. While it was far from perfect, his 29-of-54 passing attempts for 219 yards at least gave Cincinnati a chance against one of the NFC’s most talented teams. Flacco’s two touchdown passes matched his production through four weeks in Cleveland. And he did not throw any interceptions.

While Berry and Stefanski have had a lot of public support during their struggles throughout six seasons running the Browns, it certainly feels like the tides are starting to turn. 

A future Hall of Fame coach like Tomlin blasting what was previously considered a young, promising executive in Berry shows the entire world how the NFL currently views Cleveland’s front office.