5 things we learned in Steelers’ loss to Browns: Jameis Winston weathered the snowstorm
CLEVELAND — Five things we learned from Browns 24, Steelers 19.
1. Weather wasn’t the reason
Although game conditions were far from ideal, as a snowstorm covered the field and made visibility an issue in the second half, the Steelers not named George Pickens refused to use the weather as an excuse.
“It was a whiteout for the most part but if I said it was affecting us then it was affecting them, too,” Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “I don’t think that really played a part.”
It didn’t seem to bother Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, a pair of Florida natives. They connected six times for 85 yards, including three times for 39 yards on the Browns’ first touchdown drive and a pivotal 15-yarder on a third-and-6 that set up the game-winning touchdown with 57 seconds remaining.
“I really didn’t have no problem with it,” said Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., a Penn State product. “I like playing in the snow. It kind of felt like Big Ten football. We’ve just got to come out with that win.”
2. Turnover tandem
Two members of the Steelers secondary were involved in all three turnovers.
Strong safety DeShon Elliott forced a fumble on a pass to Cedric Tillman that was recovered by cornerback Donte Jackson at the Steelers’ 25 early in the second quarter.
After Steelers outside linebacker Nick Herbig blindsided Winston and stripped the ball away, Elliott recovered the fumble at the Cleveland 27. Three plays later, Calvin Austin caught a 23-yard touchdown from Russell Wilson to give the Steelers a 19-18 lead with 6:15 remaining.
Jackson then intercepted a pass intended for Elijah Moore at the Pittsburgh 24 with 4:22 left, putting the Steelers in position to clinch the game.
Elliott leads the Steelers with three fumble recoveries and has two forced fumbles, while Jackson has a team-best four interceptions.
3. Big-play duo
While George Pickens was targeted seven times and caught four passes for 48 yards, the Steelers’ biggest plays in the passing game involved their secondary wide receivers in third-and-long situations.
Calvin Austin averaged 26 yards on his three catches. His longest came on a third-and-9 from his own 27, when Wilson underthrew Austin on a post pattern for a 46-yard gain early in the second quarter to set up a Boswell field goal. Austin also hauled in the 23-yard touchdown catch that gave the Steelers a 19-18 lead with 6:15 left.
Van Jefferson left the game with a quad injury while covering a punt late in the first quarter but returned to have two catches for 39 yards. That included a 35-yarder on a third-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 34 that set up Boswell to boot a 41-yard field goal to cut it to 10-6 late in the third.
4. Fourth-down failures
Where the Browns went 4 for 4 on fourth down, the Steelers failed twice in three tries.
The Browns converted first downs when Nick Chubb ran for 5 yards on a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter, 4 yards on a fourth-and-1 to start the fourth quarter, Winston scored on a 2-yard run on a fourth-and-goal at the 2 and a 3-yard completion to Jeudy on fourth-and-3 at the 38.
On a fourth-and-2 at Cleveland’s 45 in the first quarter, the Steelers employed a jumbo package with backup quarterback Justin Fields, who ran a keeper for a 2-yard loss when he didn’t follow his lead blocker, tight end Connor Heyward.
In the third quarter, Jaylen Warren was stuffed by Browns defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II on a fourth-and-1 at the Pittsburgh 46.
Their only fourth-down conversion came when Russell Wilson completed a 9-yard pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth on fourth-and-1 at Cleveland’s 22 to set up Chris Boswell’s 28-yard field goal in the third.
5. Not-so-special teams
The Steelers have counted on game-changing plays from their special teams all season but came up short against the Browns.
Boswell made field goals from 48 and 28 yards, as well as an extra point, but missed a kick for only the second time this season.
That came on the Steelers’ opening drive, when Wilson was sacked by Myles Garrett for an 8-yard loss to the 40. Boswell’s other miss was a 62-yard attempt against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Steelers didn’t punt until the fourth quarter, and Corliss Waitman’s most consequential punt proved to be a bust.
A SHANK AND THE BROWNS HAVE GREAT FIELD POSITION pic.twitter.com/Nv9sCwayEI
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 22, 2024
Waitman, who averaged 47.2 yards on 38 punts this season, shanked a 15-yarder out of bounds late in the fourth quarter. That gave the Browns the ball at the Pittsburgh 45 with 3:22 left, and they used a nine-play, 45-yard drive to score the go-ahead points on Nick Chubb’s touchdown.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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