By Matt Quinn

Just a few weeks ago the Cleveland Browns welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers to Cleveland and pulled off the 24-19 upset. It was an ugly performance by the Steelers and one that left a poor taste in the mouths of players and fans alike. Funny how things change in two short weeks. This time around, it was the Steelers defense that showed up, sacking Jameis Winston three times and intercepting him twice. The Browns turned the ball over a total of three times, the last of which came on a muffed punt from Kadarius Toney that sealed the win at 27-14. 

The Steelers were dealt a pregame blow with the news of star wideout George Pickens would not play due to a hamstring injury. As expected, the offense had a hard time finding a rhythm, as the Browns got out to an early 7-3 lead, while the offense continued to go three and out. All the defense had to do was allow the offense to buy some time while they got their feet under them. Russell Wilson, though not nearly as electric as he was in the 400 yard performance, was still effective. While only passing for 158 yards, he also tossed two touchdowns while finishing with a 101.1 passer rating. He was effective when he needed to be and he made some timely runs to extend drives. There were no Justin Fields appearances this week, though it wasn’t necessary as the Steelers largely dominated this game for the most part. Cam Heyward continues to sack Father Time as well as opposing QBs, finishing with two of the Steelers three sacks.

On the other side, Jameis Winston could not find the same magic that he had two weeks ago in Cleveland. Though he did have 212 yards and two touchdowns, he also threw two costly interceptions and struggled to get much going throughout. WR Jerry Jeudy continues to be Jameis Winston’s favorite target, finishing with 64 yards and a TD on 6 targets and five catches. With this loss, the incredibly long odds for the Browns to make the playoffs disappeared, as they were officially eliminated from playoff contention. The Browns have alot to think about this offseason, but they have shown more life as of late with Winston at the helm. Running back Nick Chubb clearly is not the same player after an awful knee injury last season. Maybe with a full offseason of health, he can return to being one of the best Running Backs in the league. 

With this win, the Steelers now move into the two spot in the AFC Playoff picture, thanks to an upset by the Rams of the Bills in the late window. For a team that many picked to finish with a losing record and a last place finish (hasn’t happened since 1988), the Steelers continue to defy the odds. Many wrote off Russell Wilson after his disastrous stint in Denver, but he continues to prove that Denver and Sean Payton failed him the past couple years. He has been embraced in the city of Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin is at the center of it all, guiding this team to an impressive 10-3 record while making an incredibly strong case for Coach of the Year. 

Next up for the Steelers is a keystone state showdown against the red hot Philadelphia Eagles who have now won 9 straight after starting the season 2-2. Cleveland will travel to Kansas City next week to try to play spoiler against the Chiefs.