The Cleveland Browns close 2022 not with a bang but with a whimper in loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
By Chad Porto
The Cleveland Browns fell apart against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
The Cleveland Browns finally closed out their 2022 season in predictable fashion on Sunday, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14. The game was never as close as the score would lead you to believe, at least not after halftime. Sure, in the first quarter, the Browns had some pretty wild plays.
First, there was a goalline stand that produced a fumble, then there was a second near-fumble on a reception that was later ruled an incomplete pass. The Browns looked super aggressive. That wouldn’t last long though, as the Steelers quickly took the bite out of the Browns early on. The defense in the first half went from a swarming unit, capable of getting pressure, to puppies being scolded for missing the newspaper.
The offense wasn’t much better. Nick Chubb could not be stopped, and with a realistic, though daunting gap for him to get to the rushing title, many thought Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t limit him in the final game of the year. And yet he did. Chubb carried the ball only 12 times for 77 yards.
While the embattled Deshaun Watson didn’t look bad in the first half, even having some nicely thrown balls, he was still a bumbling mess in the pocket and took seven sacks on the day, many due to him not getting rid of the ball soon enough. You’d think Stefanski would call more runs knowing that his quarterback is trying out for Dancing with the Stars every time he drops back to pass.
The offense needs retooling because this isn’t it. The fact that ignoring Chubb yet again cost the Browns a win should be a pretty damning stat. The fact this is the 5th time in nine games where Chubb didn’t crack 15 carries is even worse.
Chubb was moving the ball, destroying the Steelers’ steel curtain defense, and what does Stefanski do? He tries to throw his way to a win with Watson. That doesn’t seem to work.
Rumors have it that Stefanski is safe to come back in 2023 but we gotta ask; should he be?