In the game, Baker Mayfield threw for two scores and ran for another to account for the Browns scores with Nick Chubb running for 92 yards to lead the ground attack.
Joe Schobert played a tremendous game from his linebacker position with seven tackles, two for losses, a sack, two interceptions, and four pass deflections, which short of scoring a touchdown is about as good as a linebacker can perform.
The Browns improved to 4-6 with the victory and will finish their three-game homestand with the Miami Dolphins coming to town a week from Sunday.
Brownie Bits
1) This was an uneven game that was filled with hits that might have crossed the line and would see Damarious Randall ejected for a helmet to helmet hit in the third quarter.
I didn't think any of the units involved in the game played that well other than the Browns defense and it was filled with the type of chippiness that division games often become.
2) Baker Mayfield's throws were better in this game, although not to what you expect.
His second touchdown pass to tight end Stephen Carlson that clinched the game in the fourth quarter was very good as he squeezed the ball into the one spot that Carlson could catch it without the danger of an interception,
Still, for a quarterback whose strength is supposed to be accuracy, Mayfield often struggles even in victory (17 of 32 in this game).
3) I mentioned Joe Schobert's game above and it's worth mentioning again.
Schobert's final few games of this season could determine whether he stays in Cleveland or moves on as he will be a free agent after the season.
Putting up the type of numbers that Schobert did on this night on national television will certainly give potential suitors plenty to be excited about and I'm happy for him as well.
I have often been critical of Browns linebackers through the years for being tackle accumulators and not always playmakers, but Schobert was a playmaker vs Pittsburgh.
4) Morgan Burnett was also having a magnificent game with several tackles and an interception before leaving the game with an Achilles injury.
Achilles injuries are rarely minor and I'd think that Burnett will miss a few games at the minimum and maybe even the remainder of the year.
The timing comes with the Browns very light at safety right now and just as the veteran was starting to round into form.
5) The Browns continue to phase in Kareem Hunt into the offense and it seems like for now the Browns have the right balance with Hunt.
Hunt carried the ball six times and caught six passes (from eight targets), which seems about right for now- about half of the touches of Nick Chubb (27 carries).
6) The Browns bullied the Steelers to the point of doing to them what they had done since the early 90s to the Browns.
Punished them physically, made them eat the ball with the running game and beat the Steelers offense up to the point that their only scoring drive was basically created from pass interference penalties (58 yards were handed to the Steelers on those Browns errors.)
In the end, Pittsburgh's only hope to score was for Mason Rudolph to throw the ball and pray someone interfered with his receivers.
7) As I said earlier, this was a less than clean game, Pittsburgh's James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster were both driven from the game with injuries and the Browns lost Morgan Burnett to injury and Damarious Randall for a helmet to helmet shot
I have a feeling that the rematch in Pittsburgh is going to be a very ugly game, not that this one was a thing of beauty.
8) The Browns intercepted Mason Rudolph four times and didn't turn the football over themselves.
It sounds basic because it is, but forcing turnovers and not making them yourselves goes a long way towards winning football games.
Usually, it is the Cleveland Browns that are losing that battle.
9) Pittsburgh's Heinz Field has always been a tough stadium to kick in, particularly on the end facing the river (whichever one that happens to be there), but the Dawg Pound end of the Browns stadium is quickly becoming its own little briar patch for kickers.
Chris Boswell missed his only field goal attempt at that end for the Steelers and Austin Seibert missed his first two attempts of the season and the only two that he tried in this game, at the same end of the stadium.
10) Look for the Browns to sign a safety to the main roster and one to the practice squad this week.
The Browns have no idea on the availability of Morgan Burnett, Eric Murray is still out, the Browns released Jermaine Whitehead after his social media outburst after the Denver loss and after the ejection of Damarious Randall, the Browns were down to Juston Burris and rookie Sheldrick Redwine for most of the second half.
Burris grabbed one of the four interceptions and he's developed well since they signed him from the Raiders (after the Browns dropped him and hoped he'd pass through waivers), but the depth is now light and it'll need to be addressed.
The Browns have Tighe Sankoh, a safety from Greenwich, currently on the practice squad.
11) And now what you have been waiting for- the Myles Garrett-Mason Rudolph incident.
I'm going to start with a question and comments and then I'll move to what I would do to punish those involved.
Question- Why are the Steelers even throwing the ball, to begin with?
There are eight seconds to go, down 14 and deep in your own territory- just call a dive play and the game is completed.
The Steelers didn't have to run the ball, but a run would have saved their quarterback a hit and all that then entailed.
A) Watch the tape, Mason Rudolph grabs the front of Myles Garrett's helmet with one hand and the back of his helmet with the other hand as Garrett is on top of Rudolph.
Rudolph begins the confrontation right there, Garrett being bigger and stronger, dislodges Rudolph's helmet instead, but with the Browns defense headed up the field after Rudolph's screen pass to Trey Edmunds was completed, Steeler linemen Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro move in to protect their passer.
Some have said that Rudolph's playbook/wristband was lodged into Garrett's helmet.
No way-watch the video at 1;23 and Rudolph's wristband is clearly visible while his fingers are inside the facemask.
No problems as they break things up, Garrett is holding the helmet of Rudolph and Garrett is with DeCastro and it appears that things are calming down- if there is a chance to avoid what happened, it is right here.
Linemen generally police each other and it appears that it is dying down,
B) Mason Rudolph charges Garrett and reaches for Garrett.I'm not positive, but he may have made contact with Garrett's shoulder slightly and then Garrett whacks Rudolph with the helmet.
This is now the second time that Rudolph has engaged and been the aggressor and yet after he was hit, he didn't fall down or wobble, he turns to the referee with his arms open as the aggrieved party.
C) Maurkice Pouncey attacks Garrett and lands seven punches and a kick to Garrett while David DeCastro holds Garrett down.
While the helmet shot is dangerous, let's not underestimate the danger of a 260-pound man kicking someone while wearing metal spikes.
D) While this is going, Larry Ogunjobi sees what is going on and pushes Rudolph down from behind.
That's essentially the end of the issue other than some pushing and jawing back and forth.
12) In the end, no matter the behavior of Mason Rudolph and what he did to possibly incite an issue.
Myles Garrett is in the wrong.
Can't use the helmet that way.
Can't- No excuses, Garrett in the wrong.
Garrett should get at least four games, I wouldn't argue against six, which finishes the season.
Maurkice Pouncey- half of what Garrett gets.
I understand the "Protect his QB" crowd, but the NBA has a severe stance on fighting, the NFL should follow their lead, and for landing seven punches and a kick onto a player that is being restrained, a severe penalty should be levied.
Pouncey's behavior should have him suspended for half of the Garrett suspension.
Mason Rudolph- One game suspension and a large fine.
Rudolph started the incident by ripping at Garrett's helmet and then added to it by charging at Garrett.
The real argument can be made that this ugly incident doesn't happen without Rudolph running at Garrett.
Larry Ogunjobi and David DeCastro-large fine
DeCastro would have been the peacemaker until his takedown of Garrett, so Pouncey could beat on him.
Ogunjobi pushed Rudolph from behind and that was a bit of a cheap shot against an unprepared foe.
Both players deserve fines, but I wouldn't gripe if both were sat down for one game.
The Cleveland Browns won a football game against a hated rival and pushed them around as they haven't in decades.
The Browns also achieved one goal that had never been accomplished before- for the first time, the Browns have now defeated Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the same season.
This should have been the story and instead, it is about Myles Garrett's loss of control.
No matter the actions of Mason Rudolph, the blame has to move to Myles Garrett.
Long ago, I remember a principal telling me this- "no matter what someone says to you, there is nothing that justifies violence".
That's the case here. Myles Garrett is in the wrong, no matter how much he was incited to act, Garrett was wrong.
On a night that the Cleveland Browns could have established themselves as no longer the pushovers of the AFC North that could have been remembered for years as the start of a changing of the guard,
the Browns will instead be remembered for a helmet attack and one of the ugliest incidents in the history of the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment