The Steelers fell late against Cleveland, with defensive breakdowns and questionable decisions proving to be costly on Thursday Night Football.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost Thursday night’s game as the problems that nearly buried them early resurfaced late. After trailing by 11 points, Pittsburgh rallied to tie the Cleveland Browns at 24-all with 1:42 left. Looks like they’re setting up another dramatic Aaron Rodgers finish. Instead, Deshaun Watson calmly moved Cleveland 35 yards in seven plays. Andre Szmyt drilled a career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left. Grant Delpit blocked Rodgers’ desperate last throw to seal the Browns’ 27-24 victory. Pittsburgh falls to 2-2. This loss exposed three areas that could prevent this team from being a serious AFC contender.
Nice comeback, bad ending
This Week 4 clash lived up to its billing as a brutal, emotional divisional slugfest. The Steelers opened with a 17-play, 73-yard touchdown drive capped by a 12-yard reception by Roman Wilson. Cleveland responded with three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21-7 lead. Pittsburgh trailed 21-10 at halftime before finding another way to use its offense in the fourth quarter. Rodgers connected with Darnell Washington for a 21-yard touchdown. Pat Freiermuth on a three-yard score. Rodgers ran for the tying two-point conversion after a Darnell Washington pass-interference penalty gave Pittsburgh the ball at the 1-yard line. Rodgers finished 22-of-40 for 299 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. DK Metcalf racked up 115 receiving yards. Jaylen Warren had 126 total yards. However, Cleveland answered with a decisive final possession before Delpit ended Pittsburgh’s last-gasp effort.
Offensive line
Pittsburgh’s offensive line deserves the lion’s share of the blame. Rodgers produced respectable numbers. However, the 42-year-old quarterback spent much of the night under siege. Cleveland sacked him five times and registered 10 quarterback hits.
The Steelers also came into the game showing some improvement on the ground against Cincinnati. They rushed for 138 yards in Week 3. Against Cleveland, that progress disappeared. Pittsburgh finished with just 92 rushing yards on 19 attempts. Because of this, Rodgers must shoulder the offense against a defense that can increasingly release its pass rush.
The timing is particularly concerning following the decision to trade Broderick Jones to Dallas before the season. Regardless of the reasoning behind that move, Thursday offered an uncomfortable reminder that offensive line depth remains a major issue.
Mike McCarthy also deserves credit for how Pittsburgh handled the game’s final stages. There were already signs of communication problems earlier in the contest. Rodgers was visibly frustrated on the sideline in a heated exchange involving the Steelers’ offensive operation. Rodgers and McCarthy later addressed the apparent miscommunication, with McCarthy acknowledging the incident.
However, the bigger problem is consistency. Once Pittsburgh tied the game, the defense had to make one stop. Instead, Cleveland immediately moved into Pittsburgh territory. Watson completed four passes for 45 yards on the decisive possession. Key throws included Jerry Jeudy, Harold Fannin Jr, and KC Concepcion. That was before the Browns were stopped at the Steelers’ 38-yard line. Szmyt then delivered the decisive kick.
McCarthy can’t control every defensive snap. However, the Steelers need to understand that tying the game with 1:42 left is not enough. The goal is to win the game. Pittsburgh never made the defensive stop necessary to give Rodgers another possession.
Second
The most uncomfortable subplot is Pittsburgh’s first game without Joey Porter Jr. Porter was traded to Dallas earlier today after missing Pittsburgh’s first three contests amid a contract dispute. The Steelers received a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder. However, the immediate consequences are obvious. They have one less established outside corner when facing a Cleveland offense that is increasingly capable of attacking vertically.
Cleveland repeatedly found ways to create favorable matchups, especially on the last drive. The situation became even more difficult when Jamel Dean left the game with an injury. Pittsburgh’s secondary can’t afford to lose established help on the edge in a game where Cleveland has already shown a willingness to attack on the outside.
That’s the bigger issue for Omar Khan. Trading Porter may have solved a nasty contract situation. However, this did not solve the football problem.
Pittsburgh needs answers
This loss shouldn’t erase the Steelers’ solid start. Pittsburgh is still 2-2. Rodgers has shown enough in the return to show that this offense can still be dangerous. Thursday, however, exposed a disturbing formula.
The offensive line needs to be protected better. McCarthy needs to establish cleaner communication and sharper late-game execution. Their front office needs to address the secondary before Porter’s loss becomes a season-long weakness.
Pittsburgh fought back from 21-7. That part is reassuring. Of course, contenders cannot repeatedly put themselves in situations where one mistake or one missed defense will decide everything.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost Thursday night’s game as the problems that nearly buried them early resurfaced late. After trailing by 11 points, Pittsburgh rallied to tie the Cleveland Browns at 24-all with 1:42 left. Looks like they’re setting up another dramatic Aaron Rodgers finish.