CLEVELAND — This formula has worked so well for the Pittsburgh Steelers that it’s almost certainly reliable.
It failed on Sunday. Miserably.
For the first time this season, the Steelers managed to find a way to win a close game despite an inefficient and underpowered offense, 13-10 despite the Cleveland Browns’ comeback thanks to rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. lost in a close battle. This is his second start in the NFL.
The Steelers (6-4) have won their last nine games decided by one point, including 6-0 in 2023, 9-0.
But when the game was decided in the final minutes, the Browns (7-3), led by a young QB who replaced the injured Deshaun Watson, prevailed on a day when first downs were valuable and explosive. There is very little play.
“We were a play or two short, but things happen,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in his typically candid assessment. “This is what happens when you play in this league on a day like today. We own that. We give them credit for doing enough to win.
“I’ll go back to the lab and continue my research.”
There’s a lot to address, including the baffling decision not to give running back Jalen Warren a carry. Quarterback Kenny Pickett is unable to connect with his receivers downfield. And more criticism directed at embattled offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
It looks like the Browns outplayed the Steelers this time.
And the frustration was evident in Pittsburgh’s locker room.
The Steelers have won by close margins by relying on superstar TJ Watt and their defense and getting momentum from special teams to offset an offense that has spent the better part of two seasons idle.
But Sunday got off to an eerie start as Pickett (15 of 28 for 106 yards) was sacked near the goal line on Pittsburgh’s first play by Myles Garrett, who broke through the line and flattened the QB. .
Nothing much happened offensively for the Steelers outside of when they handed the ball to Warren. He completed a 74-yard touchdown run early in the second half that seemed to finally have Pittsburgh moving.
But while Warren’s rushing run (the team’s longest since 2014) sparked the Steelers, gaining a career-high 129 yards, he only had nine carries and didn’t even get on the field in the second half. There were times when it wasn’t.
Tomlin won’t take at heart Canada’s use of Warren, who has been under fire from fans all season.
“When you fail, you can look back and make a lot of those decisions,” Tomlin said. “We don’t live like that. We don’t live in fear. There’s no second-guessing. We live. , in favor of ball distribution.”
Despite the struggles, Pittsburgh was still in position to cause more damage when the Steelers got the ball back with 1:42 remaining.
But Pickett threw three straight incompletions, including one on second down when he was in a different playbook with wide receiver Diontae Johnson. The Steelers were forced to punt after just 18 seconds of possession.
“Well, there was some miscommunication,” Pickett said. He had his helmet accidentally fall off early in the fourth and had to have his eyes washed out. “Things like that don’t happen. Obviously, especially in moments like that, you have to solve the problem.”
There was plenty of time to give Warren a touch on the final drive, but the Steelers elected to put the ball in Pickett’s hands.
“Obviously in a two-minute situation like that, you want to throw,” Pickett said when asked if he considered giving the ball to Warren. “Once the clock stopped, we could have drawn a draw or scored a run and come back, but not at that moment.”
The Steelers didn’t have much of a chance.
And when they did, they didn’t catch them.