Steelers Takeaways: Familiar problems spoil late comeback in Cleveland

The Pittsburgh Steelers nearly found a way to steal one Thursday night in Cleveland. Instead, a late comeback only made the ending more frustrating.

Pittsburgh erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit and tied the game at 24 with 1:42 remaining, only to watch the Browns move into range for a 56-yard field goal that gave Cleveland a 27-24 win. Aaron Rodgers then threw his second interception of the night on the Steelers’ final play.

The loss dropped Pittsburgh to 2-2 and brought back several concerns that appeared to be moving in the right direction after Sunday’s win over Cincinnati. The Steelers showed enough in stretches to make the game competitive, but once again struggled to put together a complete performance.

Here are my biggest takeaways from Thursday night’s loss.

A great start gave way to another offensive lull

The Steelers couldn’t have asked for much more from their first possession. After Cleveland went three-and-out, Pittsburgh marched 78 yards in 17 plays, converted multiple third downs and held the football for nearly 10 minutes before Roman Wilson scored on a 12-yard touchdown reception: it looked like a continuation of what we saw against Cincinnati.

Jaylen Warren was involved immediately, Rodgers was moving the offense and Pittsburgh was staying out of obvious passing situations. However, that didn’t last.

Rodgers was intercepted on Pittsburgh’s next possession, and Cleveland turned the mistake into a touchdown four plays later. The Steelers followed with a three-and-out, later missed a 48-yard field goal and went into halftime trailing 21-10.

The third quarter wasn’t much better. Pittsburgh managed only one first down and punted on all three possessions. For as encouraging as the opening drive was, the Steelers still haven’t shown they can sustain that level of offensive efficiency for an entire game.

Protection and third downs took a step backward

One of the biggest positives from the Cincinnati game was how much more comfortable Pittsburgh looked offensively. Against Cleveland, some familiar problems returned.

Rodgers was sacked five times for 30 yards, with several coming in damaging situations. (Several more sacks were nullified by Browns penalties, meaning Rodgers took additional hits in the game as well.)

The Steelers also converted only four of 13 third downs after going seven of 12 against the Bengals.

Perhaps the most frustrating sequence came after T.J. Watt forced and recovered a Deshaun Watson fumble at midfield. Warren immediately moved Pittsburgh to the Cleveland 30, but a false start, two incompletions and a sack eventually forced another punt.

Those are opportunities Pittsburgh can’t continue wasting. When the offense stays on schedule, as it did during much of the Cincinnati game and on Thursday’s opening drive, it looks capable of moving the football. Once penalties, sacks and long-yardage situations start piling up, everything becomes considerably harder.

The passing game finally created some big plays

The final result shouldn’t overshadow one of the more encouraging developments Thursday: Pittsburgh finally generated explosive plays through the air.

DK Metcalf had his biggest game of the season, catching five passes for 115 yards. Roman Wilson added 74 yards on three catches, including a 49-yard reception late in the second quarter, while Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth joined Wilson with touchdown catches.

Metcalf became particularly important during the fourth-quarter comeback. His 43-yard reception helped set up Washington’s touchdown, and catches of 22 and 28 yards fueled Pittsburgh’s final scoring drive.

Rodgers finished with 299 passing yards and three touchdowns despite the two interceptions and five sacks. There is enough happening with Metcalf, Wilson, Washington and Freiermuth to believe this passing game is beginning to find more ways to stress defenses: the challenge is getting that production before Pittsburgh has to chase the game in the fourth quarter.

The defense made plays, but still allowed too many damaging ones

Pittsburgh’s defense did create chances to change the game. Watt forced and recovered a Watson fumble in the third quarter, and rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings later recorded his first NFL interception after Jack Sawyer disrupted a deep throw.

But the Browns produced too many explosive plays of their own. Denzel Boston‘s 60-yard reception immediately set up a second-quarter touchdown, KC Concepcion had gains of 21 and 25 yards, and Watson broke loose for a 21-yard scramble on Cleveland’s fourth-quarter field-goal drive.

The Steelers have talked repeatedly about eliminating explosive plays, yet they continue to appear at costly moments. Thursday was another example of how one or two breakdowns can erase otherwise solid stretches of defense.

The secondary was also forced to adjust when Jamel Dean left the game, pushing rookie Daylen Everette into a larger role. Spears-Jennings also played extensively, while Derrick Harmon exited early with a foot injury after only five defensive snaps.

The extra time before Pittsburgh’s next game comes at a good moment, because the depth that looked like a strength entering the season is already being tested.

The Steelers had the ending they wanted and couldn’t finish it

For all of Pittsburgh’s mistakes, the Steelers still put themselves in position to win.

Rodgers led an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter, hitting Freiermuth for the score before keeping the ball himself on the two-point conversion to tie the game at 24 with 1:42 remaining.

At that point, Pittsburgh needed one defensive stop. Cleveland instead moved 36 yards in 1:32, getting four completions from Watson before Andre Szmyt connected from 56 yards with 10 seconds remaining. Even a Payton Wilson sack on the drive wasn’t enough to push the Browns out of field-goal range.

That ending fits the bigger issue through the first four games. The offense has had good stretches. The defense has had good stretches. Special teams have contributed. What Pittsburgh hasn’t consistently done is get all of those things at the same time.

At 2-2, the Steelers have plenty of season left and now get some additional time before hosting Indianapolis. But if close games like Thursday night’s are going to turn into wins, Pittsburgh has to become much better at finishing the opportunities it creates.