Browns Frustrated by Repeated Loss to Steelers

Cleveland Browns Continue Struggles in Loss to Steelers

PITTSBURGH — The script for the Cleveland Browns has remained unchanged, but the location has shifted. One week, it was Detroit. Another, it was London. This time, it was Pittsburgh, where the Browns fell 23-9 to the Steelers on October 12.

"Yeah, it's frustrating," said All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett. "It is frustrating. To lose the same way every time, it's frustrating as hell."

Once again, the Browns defense put up a strong performance, holding the Steelers to 335 total yards and limiting them to just two touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers and three field goals by Chris Boswell. However, those numbers were not enough to secure a win. The problem lay with the offense, which struggled to find its rhythm.

The Browns' offensive issues were self-inflicted, partly due to their own mistakes and partly due to the Steelers' aggressive defense. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel acknowledged the challenges faced by the offense.

"I think sustaining drives," Gabriel said. "I think there's a lot of positives in certain areas and then whether it's a negative play or a penalty here and there, that sets us back in a series where you're going to get in third and long, and they've been really good at that in third and long. So at that point it's a lot tougher to sustain drives. But when we are ahead and being really good on first and second, then all of a sudden on third you're converting, you're building momentum and being able to sustain drives where you're in the plus territory."

Gabriel's second start ended in another loss, much like his first against the Minnesota Vikings in London. However, this game was different in one significant way: he left with more bruises than before.

Gabriel completed 29 of 52 passes for 221 yards with a passer rating of 66.3. He also absorbed six sacks and 16 total hits as the Steelers relentlessly pressured him.

"Yeah, they're a really good team," Gabriel said. "I think on the sack end, there's things that I can help to do to try and get it out as quick as possible, just so we're not in the negative first and second down. So things we’ve got to learn from."

Despite the setbacks, Gabriel sees the experience as an opportunity to grow. However, the Browns' offensive struggles have remained consistent since their last win over the Denver Broncos in Week 13 of the previous season.

Drops among both wide receivers and tight ends continued to plague the offense. The team had an estimated five drops against the Steelers, including two by wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy, who finished with five catches for 43 yards on 13 targets, was involved in a costly penalty after hitting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in the facemask.

"Frustrated? Nah, nah," Jeudy said. "I got over it after that. After that drive. But I can't be having no personal penalties, that's going to hurt my team. Set my team back 15 yards. I can't be doing that. I got to be better on that. And I will be better on that."

The offensive line also struggled, with both starting tackles, Jack Conklin (concussion) and Cam Robinson (knee), leaving the game with injuries. Meanwhile, the interior linemen—guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, and center Ethan Pocic—are under consideration for potential trades.

"We've got to execute better," Bitonio said. "We've got to stop penalizing ourselves. I mean, I don't know how many penalties we had in the first half today, but it's obviously not winning football. Just those mistakes hurt when you're playing a team that has pretty good defense and they run a ball-control offense. We can't go three and out. We can't have those negative plays. Like, there's 10 to 15 a game that are just like, either, like something's unblocked or like a penalty, and those just kill your offense."

Ultimately, these issues continue to hinder the Browns' ability to escape their current slump. Despite the challenges, head coach Kevin Stefanski remains optimistic about the team's potential.

"Well, yeah, I don't think it's as simple as that," Stefanski said. "Obviously today we weren't able to run the ball effectively and then got behind there in the second half. Oh-for-3 in the red zone. I know those are two-minute drives, a lot of them, but we got to find a way to score points. Got to run the ball efficiently. Got to find a way to be better in the pass game, all of the above."