Steelers Report Card for Win over Browns: Keep the Momentum Going at the Midterm Edition

Posted on by Standard Reply

Taken from the gradebook of a teacher hoping his students can maintain momentum after the mid semester break, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2026 win over the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure.

Jaylen Warren explodes in the Steelers 2026 win over the Browns at Acrisure Stadium.

Jaylen Warren explodes. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers went 13 of 25 for 172 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. The interception may not have been Rodgers’ fault, but he misfired badly in the Red Zone. On the flip side he once again masterfully moved the team at the end of the first half to secure another score. Grade: B-Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
You say third and 13, Jaylen Warren says “Hand me the ball and I’ll get you 51.” How good was Warren? He still averages 5.75 yards-per-carry even if you remove his longest run. For the day he carried 17 times for 143 yards and a touchdown. Rico Dowdle ran 15 times for 56 yards and a touchdown. Dowdle also lost 10 yards on negative runs late in the game. Grade: A+

Tight Ends
Darnell Washington had 3 catches for 94 yards, including a 58-yard reception that set up the Steelers third-quarter touchdown. Pat Freiermuth had 2 catches for 35 yards, including a 25-yard catch late in the first half the set up his 1-yard tush push touchdown. Grade: A

Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf continues to run hot-and-cold and against the Browns he was cold, making one catch for 4 yards and dropping another would-be long reception. To be fair to Metcalf, it was not an easy ball to catch, but it was catchable and he didn’t catch it. Fortunately, the ensuing interception wasn’t costly. Brandon Johnson had one catch for 9 yards. Grade: C

Offensive Line
THIS is what we have been waiting for. The Steelers offensive line was in road grading form all game long, blasting holes for the running backs and doing an excellent job of protecting Aaron Rodgers. Grade: A

Defensive Line
The Cleveland Browns gave up more yards in sacks than they gained on the ground. The defensive line did a stupendous job end to end. Cam Heyward had a sack and a half and two critical tackles for losses. He also batted down a pass. Keeanu Benton registered a half a sack and batted down a pass of his own. Yahya Black clogged up the middle. Grade: A

Linebackers
Another outstanding performance by the linebackers, led by T.J. Watt with 2 sacks. Patrick Queen had a drive-wrecking sack and a half sack with Heyward. After Cleveland’s first two drives ended in turnovers, Nick Herbig wrecked the next one with a sack. Alex Highsmith had half a sack. Payton Wilson had a key goal-line tackle for a loss that helped keep the Browns out of the end zone. Grade: A

Payton Wilson stuffs Quinshon Judkins during the Steelers 2026 win against the Browns at Acrisure Stadium.

Payton Wilson stuffs Quinshon Judkins. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, Steelers.com

Secondary
Fantasy Football owners might have been happy with Deshaun Watson’s 324 yards passing. Reality Football fans know that Cleveland’s failure to score a touchdown, going 3 for 14 on third downs and 0 for 2 on 4th down are fare more telling stats. Daylen Everette had a heads up fumble recovery. Grade: A-

Special Teams
Chris Boswell missed a 57-yarder, but was money for the rest of the day, including a long kickoff after a penalty. Kick return coverage was solid although the unit did give up a long punt return. Kaden Wetjen was a tick better as a kick returner. Cameron Johnston had a solid day, although he did kick a short one out of his own endzone. Grade: B

Coaching
For several weeks Patrick Graham’s defense has largely been in bend-but-don’t break mode, although there were signs it could do more.

  • They cast that aside in this game and flat out broke the Browns.

Really, it has been a long, long time since we’ve seen and end-to-end dominating effort by a Pittsburgh Steelers defense. No, Graham’s men weren’t doing it against Otto Graham’s Browns, not by a long shot.

But the contrast between what we saw in the 2nd quarter in the Thursday Night game against the Browns and what we saw for 4 quarters in this game couldn’t be stronger or better for the Steelers.

The Steelers offense won the same way the defense won: It dominated in the trenches. This is the type of effort everyone has been looking for, and Mike McCarthy and his staff delivered.

If the Steelers offensive play calling in their first two Red Zone trips deserves to be criticized, and it does, then we also must give them credit for sticking to their bread and butter on their next two trips. Likewise, McCarthy, Rodgers and Brian Angelico all deserve praise for designing and executing a masterful 45-second drive that scored a touchdown with only 1 time out at its disposal.

  • Steelers coaches deserve credit for more than just technical points.

Tension between players and coaches was evident in the loss to the Browns earlier in the season. Four weeks later we saw three disciplined, well coordinated units take the field for Pittsburgh.

And that’s not only good to see on its own merits, but the contrast with a Browns team that trash-talked before the game and jaw-boned its way to 2 taunting penalties and another unsportsmanlike conduct flag could have been brighter.

That’s a positive reflection on Pittsburgh’s locker room and it starts with the coaches. Grade: A-

Germie Bernard makes a big gain in the Steelers 2026 win over the Browns at Acrisure.

Germie Bernard Makes with a big gain. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

Unsung Hero Award
By definition, this award goes out to the player who may not make the ESPN highlight reels, might not put up a lot of flashy stats, but still makes the kind of under-the-radar plays that make a difference. Germie Bernard’s 15-yard catch showed, football intelligence, and more importantly, set up the Steelers touchdown with 4 seconds remaining. And that’s why he wins wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 win over the Browns at Acrisure Stadium.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Beat Browns 27-6, Leaving a Lesson in Pittsburgh’s Ground-and-Pound Identity

Posted on by Standard Reply

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-6 at Acrisure Stadium in Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season. The win improves the Steelers’ record to 6-2 and gives them sole possession of the AFC North.

Mike McCarthy needn’t dig deep to discover the secret of his team’s success as the Steelers:

  • Dominated the line of scrimmage
  • Secured more turnovers
  • Tortured Cleveland’s quarterback

But that’s not the story of this game. As we shall see, the win over the Browns wasn’t as close as the score suggests. And Mike McCarthy’s ability to understand why and act on the lesson will define the ultimate success or failure of the 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers.

T.J. Watt with one of two sacks of Deshaun Watson in the Steelers 2026 win over the Browns at Acrisure.

T.J. Watt sacks Deshaun Watson. Again. Photo Credit: Taylor Ollason, Steelers.com

Cleveland Browns Fail Existential Test. Again.

Can the Cleveland Browns handle success? This question has dogged this franchise since its return to the NFL in 1999. Clearly, Cleveland is amassing an impressive corps of young talent.

That was evident in their Week 4 Thursday Night Football win over the Steelers, as it was in their twin 4th quarter rallies that fueled their last two victories. The Browns entered the game talking a lot of trash. Could they back it up?

Three moments from the loss at Acrisure reveal that the Browns are answering this question in the negative:

6 plays into the game, Shedeur Sanders hit Harold Fannin Jr. for a two-yard gain, Robert Spears-Jennings and Daylen Everette were on coverage. Fannin dropped the ball. The officials didn’t see it, neither did the network cameras, but Everette did, as did someone from the Steelers, and Pittsburgh got his first turnover.

On the second play for the Browns’ offense after that, Patrick Queen and Cam Heyward had Deshaun Watson wrapped up, Watson tried to squirm out and tried to ground the ball. , Keeanu Benton dived on it anyway.

  • Replay assist ruled the play a fumble, and the Steelers recovered.

In just eight plays, the Steelers scuttled two Cleveland drives simply because they played to the whistle on each down.

The Browns were also flagged two times for taunting and another time for unsportsmanlike conduct, costing them 16 more yards than their running backs could gain on the ground.

Cleveland came to Pittsburgh talking about how this was going to be their statement game. The Steelers keep their mouths shut and instead focused on proving they were the top dog in the AFC North. The results speak for themselves.

Steelers Again Dominate in the Trenches

Beginning with the second half of their Thursday Night loss to the Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done one thing extremely well: Dominate at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

To put that in perspective: Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson combine for 34 yards which is 17 yards less than Pittsburgh’s longest run from scrimmage. Those missed tackles that allowed the Browns to score 21 easy 2nd quarter points just four weeks ago now feel like a distant memory.

Rico Dowdle explodes towards the end zone in the Steelers 2026 win over the Browns at Acrisure Stadium.

Rico Dowdle explodes towards the end zone. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

The Steelers were equally dominant at the line of scrimmage on offense.

  • Jaylen Warren ran for 143 yards on 17 carries, averaging 8.4 yard per carry.
  • On thrid and 13 the Steelers handed it to Warren, who exploded for 51 yards.
  • Rico Dowdle ran for 56 yards on 15 carries.
  • Dowdle ran right through the middle for a 9-yard touchdown in second and 1.
  • Aaron Rodgers was only sacked once and hit one other time.

That’s a far cry from four weeks ago, when the Browns sacked Rodgers early and often, wrecking multiple drives. Instead, this time it would be the Steelers’ turn to school Cleveland in how sacks scuttle drives.

Steelers Pass Rush Unleashed

For the past three and half weeks, the Steelers defense has quietly been playing some quality football. Quiet is the operative word because, since the second half of the first loss to the Browns, the Steelers have

1. Had more of a bend-but-don’t feel to their defense
2. Had a pass rush that’s been solid but not very splashy

Nick Herbig sacks Deshaun Watson in the Steelers 2026 win over the Browns at Acrisure.

Nick Herbig sacks Deshaun Watson. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review

Against the Cleveland Browns, Patrick Graham mercilessly unleashed his pass rushers, and the Steelers got contributions from all quarters:

  • T.J. Watt had two sacks
  • Patrick Queen and Cam Heyward both recorded a sack and a half
  • Alex Highsmith and Keeanu Benton each had a half sack
  • Nick Herbig had a sack
  • Watt, Heyward, Queen and Benton all tipped passes at the line of scrimmage

At the end of the day, Deshaun Watson lost up 41 yards because of sacks or 7 yards more than the Browns’ total rushing offense.

Lessons for the Steelers to Learn During the Bye Week

Let’s get a few things straight before diving into the “lessons learned” portion of this column. Against the Browns the Steelers:

  • Beat a division foe by 21 points to secure the AFC North lead
  • Never trailed or were even tied
  • Executed a fire-drill touchdown drive with just 45 seconds remaining in the first half
  • Kept Cleveland out of the end zone, including garbage time

It says here that when you do that, you’re doing a lot of things right. But the Steelers left a lot of points on the field against the Browns.

  • They gained all of three yards after the first fumble and then missed a field goal.
  • They tried to force the pass on their first two Red Zone trips, settling for three both times

Contrast that with what happened after Darnell Washington got them into the Red Zone the next time with this play:

They didn’t waste any time and handed it immediately to Jaylen Warren, who rammed it in up the middle.

It says here that if the Steelers are to turn Aaron Rodgers’ last ride into a serious Super Bowl run, they must find a way to make the deep passing game at least an occasional threat.

Does that come from Germie Bernard’s improvement, Roman Wilson’s return, finding a way for D.K. Metcalf to catch more consistently or bringing someone in via trade? I don’t know.

But the Washington-Warren sequence revealed the lesson the Steelers must take to heart during the bye week: Even when the Steelers are able to pass the ball deep, this is a ground-and-pound team and they must embrace that identity.

How Mike McCarthy and, perhaps, Omar Khan apply that lesson that during the bye week is up to them. But at least they’ll do sitting at 6-2 and as leaders of AFC North.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Report Card for Win over Saints in Paris: French Immersion Edition

Posted on by Standard Reply

Taken from the gradebook of a teacher pleased to see his students pass their French immersion exam, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the win over the Saints in Paris.

D.K. Metcalf catches a 51 yard bomb from Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers 2026 win over the Saints in Paris, France

D.K. Metcalf catches a 51 yard bomb. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers was 19 of 31 for 212 yards, no interceptions and a touchdown. Respectable numbers, but look beneath that and you’ll see Rodgers misfiring downfield. Those misfires are the biggest reason this game was close, but Rodgers’ ability to play smart – grounding balls when necessary, evading pressure or rushing for a first down were reasons the Steelers won. Grade: B-Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle put on a textbook balanced rushing attack that the Steelers probably haven’t seen since the days of Jerome Bettis and Richard Huntley. Warren ran for 101 yards on 18 carries, and Dowdle rushed 9 times for 41 yards. Dowdle also caught 6 passes for 45 yards and Warren grabbed 3 balls for 36 yards. Grade: A

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth an uncharacteristic drop and finished the day with 2 catches for 20 yards. Darnell Washington only had one reception, but it was a combat catch in the end zone. The large number of throwaways and coverage sacks suggest that the tight ends had difficulty getting open. Both men contributed to solid blocking. Grade: B-

Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf only caught 2 passes, but one was a 51-yard field flipper. Germie Bernard had 3 catches for 27 yards. Brandon Smith had a bone-headed penalty but also set up a score with a clutch catch. Like their counterparts the tight ends, the receivers couldn’t get open. Grade: C

Offensive Line
The Steelers offensive line engaged in some first-class road grading, dominating the Saints at the line of scrimmage. Pass blocking was shakier. Rodgers did have decent time to throw for parts of the game, but the Saints were able to sack him in critical situations on multiple occasions. Grade: C

Defensive Line
To repeat from our post-game summary: The Saints had no prayer of running the ball in Paris. Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Yahya Black all had tipped passes and the later two registered tackles for losses. Grade: B+

Linebackers
This wasn’t one of those games where the linebackers tormented the opposition from start to finish, but T.J. Watt had a sack (it should have been a strip-sack, but that’s another story) that forced a field goal. Payton Wilson intercepted Tyler Shough on the Pittsburgh 10-yard line, setting up another score. Patrick Queen ended the Saints’ final possession with a sack. Grade: B+

T.J. Watt sacks Tyler Shough in the Steelers win over the 2026 Saints in Paris, France.

T.J. Watt sacks Tyler Shough. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Secondary
The New Orleans Saints had all of 18 rushing yards, which meant they had to move through the air. The Saints did that well enough throwing the ball as they managed to hold the ball for over 28 minutes. Still, the Steelers limited the Saints to 6-12 on third downs – a respectable number and, barring one Barion Brown 49-yard gain, the secondary didn’t suffer any serious breakdowns. Grade: B-

Special Teams
Chris Boswell was perfect. Barion Brown had a 42 yard return for the Saints that set up an easy field goal. Outside of that, return coverage was acceptable. Kaden Wetjen was marginally better returning both kicks and punts. Cameron Johnston only punted twice, but did an excellent job. Grade: B

Coaching
First, let’s acknowledge that Mike McCarthy and his staff did an excellent job of getting his team prepared to play after a trans-Atlantic flight. Anyone who remembers the Steelers game in London can appreciate the importance of that.

New Orleans was not strong against the run, and McCarthy based his game plan on running against them, fielding one of the most balanced attacks of the season. Things were rougher in the passing game, but that mostly comes down to execution rather than game-planning.

  • Patrick Graham’s defense had another solid day.

No, we’re not seeing the fireworks and splash plays that Steelers fans long for, but his front seven controlled the line scrimmage. Let’s accept that these not only weren’t Drew Brees’ Saints; they weren’t even Bobby Hebert’s.

But that’s part of the point: The Steelers defense was supposed to dominate the Saints and it did, winning the battle of the trenches and stepping up with big plays when situations called for it.

Patrick Graham’s defense has now given up 3 touchdowns in 14 quarters. No, they’re not doing it against the Greatest Show on Turf, but they are doing it against NFL teams. Grade: B

Cameron Johnston holds as Chris Boswell kicks a field goal during the Steelers 2026 win over the Saints in Paris

Chris Boswell knocks one in. Photo Credit: AP, via the Pittsburgh, Tribune-Review

Unsung Hero Award
Lining up for a place kick is one of the NFL’s most mundane tasks. But the Steelers found themselves needing to do this with no timeouts and less than 30 seconds to spare. But Danny Crossman’s field goal unit was ready to go, got onto the field without even a hint of panic, got the kick off in time and Chris Boswell split the uprights, adding three points at the half in a six-point game. For that, the Steelers field-goal kicking unit wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 win over the Saints in Paris.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Beat Saints 16-10 by Dominating the Trenches in Historic Paris NFL Game

Posted on by Standard Reply

The Pittsburgh Steelers won the NFL’s inaugural game in Paris, France, at Stade de France by beating the New Orleans Saints 16-10.

In a game that featured few fireworks, Mike McCarthy’s squad carried the day because they won the battle in the trenches, paving the way for 5 players to step up to make 6 critical plays that defined the difference on the scoreboard.

Payton Wilson picks off Tyler Shough in the 3rd quarter of the Steelers win over the Saints in the NFL's first game in Paris, France

Payton Wilson picks off Tyler Shough. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

(Mostly) Winning the Battle of Scrimmage

Since the day Omar Khan and Andy Weidl took charge of the scouting department, a single mission has driven the duo: To position the Steelers to win in the trenches.

They’ve adopted a wise strategy. Fantasy Football, meta-statistics and advanced analytics might be in vogue, but teams still win football games at the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh proved that yet again in Paris.

It is a shame that NFL statisticians don’t track tackles for no gain, because another pair of metrics reveals that the Steelers defense was doing a lot of that:

  • Kendre Miller and Alvin Kamara combined for 14 carries totaling 11 yards.
  • Quarterback Tyler Shough led New Orleans in rushing – with all of 7 yards on 3 carries.
  • Six of Shough’s 7 yards came on a single carry.

No, the New Orleans Saints didn’t have a prayer of rushing the ball in Paris. The opposite can be said of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

Warren, Dowdle Deliver the 1-2 Punch

In his first year as Pittsburgh’s undisputed RB No. 1, Jaylen Warren has played at an All-Pro level. And even though he’s in his fifth year in the league, Warren still may not have played his best football.

He runs hard, he runs smart, he’s capable of breaking a big one either between the tackles or on the perimeter. His motor is always running and he’s an excellent pass blocker in the backfield.

Yet, Mike McCarthy made it clear that when Rico Dowdle returned to full health, the duo would continue to split carries. His decision has been met with heckles from the peanut gallery, but last week in Tampa Bay and again on the “road” in Paris, but maybe, just maybe, Mike McCarthy proved he knows a tad bit more about game planning and execution than all of the unemployed offensive coordinators who post on the platform once known as Twitter:

  • Jaylen Warren rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries
  • Rico Dowdle rushed for 41 yards on 9 carries

Warren averaged 5.6 yards per carry and Dowdle clocked in at 4.6 yards per pop. Dowdle had six catches to Warren’s three, although Warren did have a beautiful 26 yard reception.

Rico Dowdle explodes in the open field during the Steelers 2026 win over the Saints in Paris, France.

Rico Dowdle explodes into the open field. Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin, Steelers.com

This is exactly the type of carry distribution you’d like to see between your number 1 and number 2 running backs. Both men are capable of rushing the ball, with Warren getting the bulk of the work and having his number called on third downs, which he continues to convert.

A lot of their success is due to the run blocking by the James Campen’s offensive line. The only thing that prevented the duo from taking over the game was the fact that, for as strong as the Steelers offensive line was at run blocking, their pass protection was shaky far too often in critical situations.

That meant that the Steelers would have to make up for it in other ways.

Six Players Make Five Difference-Defining Plays

The Steelers offensive and defensive lines won the battles at the line of scrimmage, providing the foundation for the win. But because the Pittsburgh passing game couldn’t get in gear, and because of the “bend-but-don’t-break” character of Patrick Graham’s defense, the game was closer than it should have been.

And several players stepped up to make difference-making plays:

The biggest play, however, was authored by Payton Wilson to cap what was already a strong day:

 

New Orleans might not be a very good football team, but they’ve been excellent the Red Zone. T.J. Watt’s sack came when they were on their 18-yard line on a drive that began with a 49-yard catch by Barion Brown.

  • Watt’s sack likely saved the Steelers 4 points.

Wilson made his interception on second down with New Orleans on Pittsburgh’s 10-yard line on the 14th play of a drive that had lasted over 7 minutes. Again, Wilson saved the Steelers at least 3 points and set up the Steelers own 14-play, seven- minute drive that ended with a 39-yard Chris Boswell field goal.

Finally, with the game on the line, Aaron Rodgers scrambled for six yards, just enough for a first down, allowing the Steelers to kill the clock.

Those, ladies and gentlemen, are difference making plays.

Steelers Set for AFC North Showdown with the Browns

As Mike Tomlin might have said, “They don’t add style points” to wins. The victory in Paris improves the Steelers’ record to 5-2, with the Cleveland Browns coming to Pittsburgh.

For the first time in a long, long time, the leaves are changing colors and the Steelers and Browns are facing off with the division lead hanging in the balance.

In other words, AFC North football at its finest.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Report Card for Win over Buccaneers: Trajectory-Alterting Edition

Posted on by Standard Reply

Taken from the gradebook of a teacher hoping he’s seen his students make an trajectory-altering turn, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2026 road win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jaquan Brisker hits Jalon Daniels forcing an incompletion in the Steelers 2026 win at Tampa Bay.

Jaquan Brisker hits Jalon Daniels forcing an incompletion. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers was 33 of 49 for 253 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. However, through the first three quarters he posted a 53.8 passer rating, with a 122.9 the rest of the way. The shift in execution is what stands out, but throughout the game, Rodgers remained poised and in control. Grade: BSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren ran 14 times for 50 yards against a stout rushing defense. Rico Dowdle ran 7 times for 40 yards, showing the promise of a 1-2 punch is real. The duo only made 5 catches, but several of those came in the all-important overtime drive. Grade: B

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth only had 2 catches for 11 yards, but blocked well. Darnell Washington had 4 catches for 25 yards and a touchdown, but dropped a difficult yet catchable touchdown. Grade: B-

Wide Receivers
This was old school football for the Steelers, with only D.K. Metcalf and Germie Bernard getting targets. Both men grabbed 11 balls, and got hot in the 4th quarter just when the Steelers needed them to, with Bernard catching the go-ahead TD in overtime helped by a big block from Metcalf. Grade: B+

Offensive Line
Tampa’s defense is better than the team’s record suggests, and the offensive line struggled to protect Rodgers early on. Yet, when the game was on the line, Rodgers had the time he needed to throw, and the Steelers were able to run the ball as well as they needed go. Grade: C

Defensive Line
Bucky Irvin came into the game averaging over 5 yards per carry, coming off a monster game against Dallas with 10 days rest. The Steelers held him to 2.4 yards a carry. Now his season average is back below 5. That starts with the defensive line. Cam Heyward had a QB hit on first interception and  Yahya Black had a sack. Grade: B+

Linebackers
Payton Wilson was all over the field, leading the team in tackles with 11. Nick Herbig had 6 tackles, including 2 sacks. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith might not have flashy numbers, but they forced the Bucs to account for them, allowing others to apply pressure. Grade: B

Nick Herbig tackles Kenneth Gainwell during the Steelers 2026 win at Tampa Bay.

Nick Herbig tackles Kenneth Gainwell. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review

Secondary
Jalen Ramsey set the tone for the defense by ending the Buccaneers’ first drive with a sack and he bookended  that with another sack to finish the game. Daylen Everette struggled on Tampa’s lone touchdown drive, but he made up for it with an interception that helped turn the game. Jaquan Brisker was a force far back from, on, and behind the line of scrimmage. And Jamel Dean’s interception was a game-changer. Grade: B+

Special Teams
Just when Kaden Wetjen seemed to break a big regurn, it got negated by a penalty. Return yardage was still a little too leaky. Chris Boswell missed a 48-yarder – ball placement was an issue, but made a 58 yarder – twice when the Steelers had to have one. Cameron Johnston continued to boom off punts with authority, pinning Tampa inside its 20 three times. Grade: B-

Coaching
Let’s address the elephant in the room directly: Mike McCarthy made the right decision by trying to score a touchdown after the interception. Yes, throwing 2 of 3 times did keep the clock running.

  • But the first call was a play action bootleg.

Is throwing a pass when they’re expecting a run, unorthodox? Feigning a run and then throwing a pass is even less unorthodox. As it was, Rodgers threw a catchable pass. His second pass was an RPO. He saw something on his second pass and that too could have been completed with better ball placement.

Rodgers has been very sharp in the Red Zone all season long, and McCarthy trusted his players to make plays. If either pass his caught, the clock management conversation never happens.

And if Mike McCarthy deserves criticism for an offense that sputtered for 3 quarters, and he does deserve it, he also earns praise for making the adjustments to an offense that soared in the 4th quarter and then dictated in overtime.

  • Once again, we saw more “Bend but don’t break” from Patrick Graham’s defense.

That can be frustrating at times, and there are areas to critique. But if you look beneath the hood, you’ll see that Graham stopped a potent rushing attack, managed to get pressure from unexpected angles, forced field goals instead of touchdowns and produced turnovers with the game on the line, twice. Grade: B-

Keeanu Benton stones Bucky Irvin during the Steelers 2026 win at Tampa Bay.

Keeanu Benton stops Bucky Irvin cold. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

Unsung Hero Award
The Steelers run defense has been an underreported weakness for the last several seasons. When the X’s and O’s types look a little deeper, they often finger one player. And truth be told, he has struggled at times in the past. But against the Buccaneers, Keeanu Benton was a strength against the run, making his presence known early and finishing the day with two tackles for losses. And for that Keeanu Benton wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Rookies Spark Rally as Steelers Beat Buccaneers 26 to 19 in Overtime.

Posted on by Standard Reply

In Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime 26-19 at Raymond James Stadium, to improve their record to 4-2 and keep themselves in a tie for the lead in the AFC North.

  • The win gives Mike McCarthy’s Steelers his first road and overtime victory.
  • It also marks the franchise’s largest 4th quarter comeback since the 1992 season.

Those first two statistics are significant and the third factoid is interesting, but the why and the how Pittsburgh pulled off this comeback win are what’s most important:  Rookies stepped up to shift momentum in the Steelers’ favor allowing the veterans to close the deal.

Germie Bernard scores his first career touchdown in overtime to put the Steelers ahead of the Buccaneers.

Germie Bernard scores the go-ahead touchdown in overtime. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

40 Minutes of (Nearly) Unadulterated Ugly

As noted above, this was Mike McCarthy’s first win on the road, which is good. What isn’t so good is that for the first 40 minutes or so, his team followed the template it laid down in past road losses.

The Steelers opened the game by forcing a three and out, punctuated by a Jalen Ramsey sack of Jalon Daniels on third down. So far so good.

Jalen Ramsey sacks Jalon Daniels in the first quarter of the Steelers 2026 OT win at Tampa Bay.

Jalen Ramsey sacks Jalon Daniels in the first quarter. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

Then Pittsburgh punted away on its next possession after gaining 2 yards. Patrick Graham’s defense forced another 3 and out. So far so good…

….on defense at least.

Then Aaron Rodgers bounced a pass off of Darnell Washington’s hands which A’Shawn Robinson of the Buccaneers caught. The defense held Tampa to a field goal.

  • For a second, the Steelers teased that things might be different.

Kaden Wetjen returned the ensuing kick off for 53 yards. Alas, it got called back on a penalty. The Steelers made it past midfield, and McCarthy acceded to Aaron Rodgers’ request to go for it. He hit Germie Bernard for what should have been a first down, but Bernard, channeling his inner Diontae Johnson, ran backwards on his own power and got tackled short.

  • Tampa transformed that turnover into a touchdown.
  • Chris Boswell missed a 48-yard field goal (he had bad ball placement, but a miss is a miss)
  • Chase McLaughlin answered with a 47-yarder

Credit Aaron Rodgers with working the team into field goal position to make it to halftime down 13-3. IF games unfolded in real time the way NFL Films scripts them in hindsight this is the point where we can imagine John Facenda’s voice weaving a yarn that explains how this was the moment that the Steelers offense came to life….
It would have sounded great.

  • But alas, it wasn’t the case.

Oh, those 3 points turned out to be crucial at the end, but the Steelers offense touched the ball 6 times in the third quarter and earned one yard for each of those touches.

On defense Patrick Graham’s unit went back to bend-but-don’t-break mode allowing the Buccaneers to make it to the Red Zone on a long drive, then limiting them to a field goal due to sharp coverage in the secondary.

Still, as the 4th quarter began the Steelers were still down 16-3 with punter Cameron Johnston running far ahead of the pack for the offensive MVP award.

Rookies Roar, Spark 4th Quarter Rally

Rookie Germie Bernard began turning heads almost as soon as he arrived at St. Vincents this summer. He’s looked good and generally delivered when his number’s been called, but his rookie mistake in the first quarter hurt the Steelers badly.

  • He made up for it in the 4th quarter. And then some.

As Aaron Rodgers explains, “There comes a time when the confidence starts to match the potential, and I think we’re reaching that time with Germie.”

Rodgers looked Bernard’s way 3 times on the first drive of the 4th quarter, with Bernard catching both passes, the first a 19-arder, and the second a nine-yarder that set up Darnell Washington’s touchdown catch from Rodgers.

Along the way D.K. Metcalf caught a 17 yard pass that converted a 3rd and 16 after a sack threatened to scuttle the Steelers drive. Washington’s touchdown made it a 6 point game.

Bernard’s fellow third-round pick made the next rookie headline, with Cam Heyward hurrying Daniels and rookie Daylen Everette came down with a juggling interception to give the Steelers the ball.

Daylen Everette intercepts Jadon Daniels in the Steelers 2026 OT win over Tampa Bay

Daylen Everette makes his first interception. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez, Steelers.com

The Steelers had to settle for a Chris Boswell field goal, but that put them within 3 points midway through the 4th. Tampa’s offense netted -1 yard, thanks to a Jalen Ramsey tackle and smart coverage from Jamel Dean – remember that name, folks.

The Steelers responded with a 37-yard drive that saw Chris Boswell atone for his early miss by making a 58-yard field goal – twice, thanks to the 2-minute warning hitting. But make it he did, tying the game with just two minutes left.

Tampa got the ball and Daniels threw an incomplete on first down and then, with just 1:46 remaining, Jamel Dean took matters into his own hands, literally:

That’s an interception, and a 43-yard return for those of you keeping notes at home.

Mike McCarthy opened himself up to controversy with what followed next, but it says here: The Steelers did the right thing by trying to win the game. Unfortunately, passes to Washington and Metcalf fell incomplete, and the Steelers had to settle for a field goal.

That put them up by 3, but even a heroic sack by Nick Herbig wasn’t enough to keep them out of field goal range, tying the game with 8 seconds left.

Rodgers, Steelers Offense Scary Smooth in Overtime

There are times in sports when superiority asserts itself through smoothness. The Steelers offense sputtered, badly (is there ever a good way to ‘sputter’?), through 3 quarters. It awoke in the 4th quarter, but couldn’t close the deal.

  • During overtime, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense appeared as if they were on cruise control.

It’s not that everything worked perfectly. Rodgers’ first pass fell incomplete. Jaylen Warren’s first run lost 3 yards. But if there was any sign of panic from the players on the field, it was invisible to any onlooker. Instead, when Rodgers hit D.K. Metcalf for 16 yards on 3rd and 16 it felt normal.

  • And for the rest of the drive, Rodgers did what he wanted to, when he wanted to do it.

When he wanted to pass to Metcalf, as he did two other times, he did it. When he wanted to dump it off to Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, he dumped it off. Both men carried the ball, making strong runs, moving the chains.

Perhaps even better, they kept the clock ticking.

  • By the time Germie Bernard extended himself to put Pittsburgh ahead, only 3:15 remained in over time.

Not only had the Steelers scored a touchdown, they’d given an undrafted rookie free agent quarterback just over 3 minutes to score his own.

  • Award the Tampa offense a participation trophy for making 10 plays in the little time they had.
  • Credit Patrick Graham’s defense for limiting them to 15 yards on those 10 plays.

 

And give Jalen Ramsey a game ball for putting Tampa out of its misery by sacking Jalon Daniels on 4th and 9.

More than “A Win Is a Win” Game

If social media is a guide, this win is not being well-received by Steelers Nation.

Fair enough. Pittsburgh was putrid for the first 40 minutes. And the Steelers offense should have sealed the deal in regulation but failed. Those facts speak for themselves. But other facts also speak and final score says their voice is louder:

  • McCarthy and the Steelers offense adjusted, scoring 23 points in the 4th quarter and overtime.
  • Don’t look now, but Patrick Graham’s defense has allowed just two touchdowns in the last 10 quarters of play.
  • And the Steelers are getting a solid mix of contributions from rookies and veterans.

And that’s why the Pittsburgh Steelers are taking a 4-2 record to Paris.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Report Card for Win Over Colts: Classroom Evolution Edition

Posted on by Standard Reply

Taken from the gradebook of a teacher hoping he’s seeing a classroom evolution, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2026 win over the Colts at Acrisure.

Jaquan Brisker, Daylen Everette, Alex Highsmith and Jalen Ramsey gang tackle Tyler Warren in the Steelers 2026 win over the Colts.

Gang tackling’s back in vouge in Pittsburgh: Jaquan Brisker, Daylen Everette, Alex Highsmith and Jalen Ramsey take down Tyler Warren. Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham, Steelers.com

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers was 22 of 31 for 3 touchdowns for 235 yards and no interceptions in a game characterized by Rodgers’ lightning-quick release. Don’t let those numbers fool you into thinking that Rodgers slipped into “game manager” mode, as he skillfully worked – and won – the game within the game at the line of scrimmage. Grade: A-Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Back
Jaylen Warren exploded in the first half for an 80-yard touchdown reception. He did it again zigging and zagging for a 50-yard touchdown run. In between quibblers will quibble about his average, but Warren made tough yards and the Steelers ran the ball when they needed to. Lew Nichols ran once for 6 yards. Grade: A+

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth caught 5 passes for 44 yards, including 2 touchdowns. Darnell Washington caught 2 passes for 12 yards but on one of them no less than 6 defenders were needed to take him down. Perhaps more importantly, the duo did plenty of damage in the blocking game. Grade: A

Wide Receivers
An already short-handed unit lost not one, but two players. However, in his first start rookie Germie Bernard stepped up catching 6 of 9 balls thrown his way for 80 yards, including a couple of critical, third-down conversions. D.K. Metcalf caught 3 passes for 12 yards, but also ran for 11, and Bernard picked up 4 on a reverse of his own. Grade: B

Offensive Line
Aaron Rodgers was only sacked once and hit one other time per ESPN’s stats. While its true that the Steelers leaned into the quick-release game, that appeared to be as much a product of game-planning and response to wide receiver attrition as opposed to an inability to protect Rodgers. Run blocking was solid. Grade: B

Defensive Line
Jonathan who? For the second straight year a short-handed Steelers defensive line led the charge in shutting down Jonathan Taylor. Yahya Black looked impressive and Gabriel Rubio made 3 tackles in his first start. Cam Heyward had the lone sack of the day, but it came in the 4th quarter. Grade: B+

Cam Heyward sacks Daniel Jones during the Steelers 2026 win over the Colts.

Cam Heyward sacks Daniel Jones. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Linebackers
The Steelers inside linebackers drew a lot of grief for their performance against the Browns, yet both Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen bounced back, with Wilson leading the team in tackles and breaking up a pass while Queen had 7 tackles of his own. The Steelers outside linebacker troika had a quiet day on the stat sheet, but so did the Colts running backs, in no small part because T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith so effectively set the edge. Grade: B

Secondary
Another short-handed unit acquitted itself well. Asante Samuel Jr.  batted away 4 passes, including 2 in the end zone while rookie Daylen Everette knocked away two of his own in his first start. Jaquan Brisker effectively kept the lid on the Colts’ offense, while batting down two passes himself. Grade: B

Special Teams
Chris Boswell was a perfect 2-2 on field goals and made all of his PATs. Cameron Johnston continued to boom off punts and planted one inside the 20. Kaden Wetjen clearly has good speed, but needs to make better decisions. The Steelers kick coverage remains an issue. Anthony Gould had a 54-yard return. The Colts only needed to get 5 yards on this drive before kicking a field goal. Seth McGowan also had a 36-yard return that set up another field goal.

Special teams cannot continue to give up returns that facilitate easy scores. Grade: C-

Coaching
After a week of heated headset exchanges, Patrick Graham was on the sidelines, and coincidence or not, the defense played much better. Yes, the Steelers did benefit from some errant passes by Daniel Jones. Yes, the Steelers defense did have a bit of a “bend-but-don’t-break-feeling.”

But the unit was more aggressive, tackling was much better, and players assertively engaged Colts’ ball carriers at the line of scrimmage.

  • For one game at least, gang tackling was back in vouge in Pittsburgh – let’s keep it that way Patrick.

No one will ever mistake the 2026 Indianapolis Colts defense for the Purple People Eaters, ’85 Bears, ’00 Ravens, or Legion of Boom. But Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio devised an effective game plan that exploited the Colts’ weaknesses, moved the ball in short-yardage situations, and finished Red Zone drives with touchdowns.

More importantly, the tension evident on the field last week in Cleveland did not ferment into dissension. Grade: B

Jalen Ramsey and Payton Wilson corner Jonathan Taylor during the Steelers 2026 win over the Colts at Acrisure.

Jalen Ramsey and Payton Wilson corner Jonathan Taylor. Photo Credit: Jordan Perez

Unsung Hero Award
For the second straight year the Steelers have reached the middle of the season and, once agai,n three of their projected starters in the secondary are out. And once again, there’s a player who is providing a veteran presence both on and off the field that is showing up in ways both large and small. Jalen Ramsey is filling those shoes and for that he wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers win over the Colts at Acrisure.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Beat Colts 34-22 as Mike McCarthy’s Offense Begins to Evolve

Posted on by Standard Reply

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34-22 in week 5 of the 2026 NFL season, improving their record to 3-2 as they’ve kept pace in a deadlocked AFC North.

The win came on the heels of a disappointing Thursday night loss at Cleveland that had fans calling for everything from Mike McCarthy to start Drew Allar to imploring Art Rooney II to sell the team.

In this environment, Mike McCarthy said he needed to “clean house” only to double-back and issue a clarification that he meant to say “clean up” the house.

As McCarthy explained after the game, in true Pittsburghese, the Steelers “redd things up,” and in doing so, their offense may have opened up the door to the next stage of their evolution.

Jaylen Warren explodes for a 50 yard touchdown during the Steelers win over the Colts.

Jaylen Warren explodes for a 50-yard touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla

Steelers Offensive Evolution about More than Big Play Jay

Let’s embrace the obvious takeaway from the win over the Colts: Jaylen Warren had a breakout game.

Warren’s first three touches went for zero yards, 11 yards nullified by a penalty and negative 5 yards on a reception that forced a punt. The next time the Steelers got the ball they were down by three, yet, with Grover Stewart bearing down on him Aaron Rodgers didn’t hesitate to look Warren’s way.

Warren did not disappoint:

 

12 seconds and 80 yards later, Warren had put the Steelers up by 1 with an assist from Chris Boswell. Warren wasn’t done. Not even close. On the Steelers first possession of the 2nd half, Warren zigged and zagged his way through to the second level, and with Darnell Washington blocking three people Warren ripped off a 50 yard run:

It says here that Jaylen Warren deserves the praise, accolades and bigger role he’s going to get coming out of this win. Clearly, Jaylen Warren is the best player on the Steelers’ offense.

Yet there are two other sequences that will get overlooked that reveal more about the evolution of the Steelers offense under Mike McCarthy:

  • Late in the 1st quarter, the Steelers gave it to Warren on 3rd and 2 at their 46 – he got 3 yards.
  • In the middle of the 4th quarter the Steelers again gave it to Warren on 4th and 1, and Warren converted.

For a long, long time, perhaps since the 2016 season, the Steelers have followed this formula “3rd + Short = Throw.” In both situations Mike McCarthy opted to keep the ball on the ground.

  • In both instances Warren delivered.
  • Both drives ended with Pat Freiermuth touchdown catches.

That’s only two series and, no one is going to confuse the Colts defense with the ’85 Bears, but if Pittsburgh proves it both willing and able to run the ball in short-yardage situations, that could make them very difficult to defend in “situational football.”

Aaron Rodgers and the Rest of Warren’s Supporting Cast Step Up

Jaylen Warren’s breakout game didn’t happen in a vacuum. Every player who took the field for the Steelers stepped up in what was truly a team effort. And a team effort was necessary, as the Steelers came into the game missing Michael Pittman Jr. and then lost Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek in the game.

Steelers offensive players not named Warren likely didn’t make many Fantasy Football owners happy, yet each man found a way to make a difference:

  • Aaron Rodgers had a turnover-free day, throwing three touchdowns along the way
  • Rookie Germie Bernard, in his first start, had 6 grabs including two 3rd down conversions
  • Darnell Washington delivered several devastating blocks
  • Pat Freiermuth caught two touchdowns
  • D.K. Metcalf only had 3 catches, but delivered a key block on Warren’s 1st touchdown

The offensive line put in a solid day. Aaron Rodgers was only sacked once and only hit one other time. Yes, Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio did have Rodgers on a lighting-quick release schedule and their game plan featured extensive use of screens.

Steelers offensive line opens holes for Jaylen Warren in the 2026 win over the Colts.

Steelers offensive line opening holes for Jaylen Warren. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

But the fact that Chris Boswell went out with 3:47 left in the 4th quarter to kick an insurance field goal rather than a game-winner suggests that McCarthy, Angelichio and Rodgers knew exactly how to exploit the weaknesses of the Colts’ defense.

Steelers Defense Tailored to Stop Taylor?

A year ago Jonathan Taylor’s arrival at Acrisure sent Steelers Nation clutching their Rosary beads. The Steelers run defense had struggled unexpectedly against the Bengals and, quite frankly, the Green Bay Packers rushing success against the Steelers went largely unnoticed as Jordan Love torched them through the air.

  • Worse yet, Derrick Harmon, who had already proven to be stout against the run, was out.

A year later, the Steelers run defense has been exploited by the Browns, Derrick Harmon was out, and Johnathan Taylor was coming to town.

  • Against the rest of the NFL, Taylor averages 4.9 yards a carry
  • Going into today’s game, he averaged 4 yards a carry against the Steelers
  • In today’s game he averaged only 3 yards a pop

A year ago, they also limited Taylor to 45 yards rushing, but the rest of their performance was mainly defined by the 6 turnovers the defense created. The Steelers’ defense didn’t get any takeaways today, and Cam Heyward recorded the only sack.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson bottle up Johnathan Taylor in the Steelers 2026 win over the Colts.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson stop Jonathan Taylor Taylor. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Still, Patrick Graham’s “bend but don’t break” defense was up to the task:

But Asante Samuel Jr. practically stole the show with 4 passes defensed, including one in the end zone. All of those were positives, but perhaps the best takeaway from this game was the improvement in tackling.

After an embarrassing performance in Cleveland, the Steelers put on a clinic in gang-tackling. Patrick Graham must ensure that this continues.

McCarthy Undefeated at Acrisure, Showing Ability to Adapt

With the win over the Colts, Mike McCarthy is now undefeated at Acrisure.

The Steelers will certainly face tougher opponents than the Indianapolis Colts, but this was a game that the Steelers were “supposed” to win, and they not only won, but by a two-score margin.

And they did it with an offense that showed a different dynamic, which suggests that McCarthy and his staff will be able to tweak and adapt as circumstances demand.

And that’s a good place to be just as the leaves are starting to change color.

 

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

Steelers Report Card for TNF Loss to the Browns: Losing Control of the Classroom Edition

Posted on by Standard Reply

From the gradebook of a preoccupied principal worrying his teacher may be losing control of the classroom, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2026 TNF loss to the Browns.

Maliek Collins sacks Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers 2026 TNF loss to the Browns

Maliek Collins sacks Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers 2026 TNF loss to the Browns. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers went 22-40-299-2-2. Credit Rodgers for leading 3 touchdown drives, 2 of which came in the 4th quarter. He looked smart on all three. But he struggled for much of the rest of the night, throwing two picks and missing open receivers on multiple occasions. Grade: DSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren ran for 95 yards on 17 carries and caught 3 passes for 33 yards. Travis Homer had 2 carries for minus 1 yards. Grade: B

Tight Ends
Darnell Washington caught 3 passes for 27 yards and Pat Freiermuth 3 for 17. Each man caught a touchdown and both men continued to block well. Grade: B

Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf had 5 catches for 115 yards on 9 targets. You’d like to say he looked like a true WR No. 1, except he gave up a taunting penalty. Roman Wilson had 3 catches for 74 yards but broke off his route to the middle of the field trying to get out of bounds. Michael Pittman Jr. had 2 catches for 15 yards. Germie Bernard had 2 grabs for 11 yards while Ben Skowronek had 1 for 7 yards. Individually each wide out had his moments, but they struggled to gain separation during the middle of the game on a night when the team needed more. Grade: C-

Offensive Line
Aaron Rodgers was sacked 5 times, but to be fair to the offensive line, the last 2 of those can likely be chalked up as “coverage sacks.” And the run blocking was better. This performance doesn’t negate the positive signs the line showed against Cincinnati, but it does confirm more progress is needed. Grade: D

Defensive Line
The Browns rushing attack didn’t make any noise until early in the 2nd quarter. Derrick Harmon left injured in the 2nd quarter after his 5th defensive snap? Coincidence? Doubtful. An excuse? No way. IF you take out Jaleel McLaughlin’s 28-yard touchdown run, the Steelers defense had a lot of success against the Browns. But that’s the problem, tackling appeared to be optional at times. Cam Heyward did force a fumble, but that can only pull the grade up so much. Grade: D

Linebackers
The inside linebackers were also complicit in the poor tackling/run containment, while T.J. Watt did register a strip sack which should have been a momentum-changer, but pressure from the linebackers was not consistent. Grade: D

Robert Spears-Jennings intercepts Deshaun Watson during the Steelers 2026 TNF loss to the Browns

Robert Spears-Jennings picks off Deshaun Watson to start the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Secondary
Deshaun Watson did his best Doug Williams Super Bowl XXII impersonation throwing more touchdown passes, two, than incompletions in the second quarter. To their credit, the unit tightened up and kept Cleveland out of the end zone in the 2nd half. And Robert Spears-Jennings heads-up interception got the Steelers back in the game. But the Browns got the yards they needed to get into field goal range. Grade: D

Special Teams
Cameron Johnston boomed off 5 punts pinning the Browns at the one once. And the Steelers punt return was solid, while Kaden Wetjen had one solid return. However, Wetjen was average on kick returns, and the Steelers gave up a 33-yard return helping set up a Browns field goal drive. Chris Boswell missed a 48-yarder in what would be a 3-point game. The Steelers needed their special teams to be special. Instead they were barely average: Grade: C-

Coaching
Mike McCarthy did an excellent job with his opening script of plays. And they looked to be building on another drive until an interception short-circuited the Steelers’ performance in all three phases for an entire quarter.

  • To his credit, McCarthy made adjustments.

The same can be said for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. His defense started strong, put in an atrocious 2nd quarter, but rebounded in the second half.

  • Objectively, the issue is consistency.

Just about every area on the depth chart put some quality sequences of plays on tape, but they also put some horrid sequences on tape. If one of them could have just managed to attain a little more consistency, the outcome could easily have been different.

Subjectively, we saw a number of players get animated either on the field or the sidelines. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – we all likely remember the NFL Films clip of rookie Jack Lambert yelling at veteran Jack Ham – but McCarthy must harness this passion and energy constructively. Grade: D

Jack Sawyer tips a Deshaun Watson pass during the Steelers 2026 TNF loss to the Cleveland Browns

Leaping Jack Sawyer tips Deshaun Watson’s pass. Photo Credit: X.com

Unsung Hero Award
Tides in football games are altered by players give everything they’ve got, who play to the whistle and who, when they can’t quite achieve their objective find other ways to make an impact. Second year man Jack Sawyer was a step to slow too reach the quarterback, but by leaping he just nicked the ball, transforming a pass interference penalty into a momentum-shifting interception. For that, Sawyer wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2026 Thursday Night loss to the Browns.

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.

The Game Within the Game: Dissecting the Steelers 27-24 Loss to the Browns on TNF

Posted on by Standard Reply

Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season saw the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cleveland and drop a 27-24 decision to the Browns on Thursday Night Football.

Judging by the reaction from Steelers Nation on social media, the 2026 Steelers are officially the worst 2-2 team in the history of organized athletics (including, it would seem, team competitions from the ancient Olympics.)

However, with the benefit of a little time and detached reflection, one can see that the loss did yield a lot of insights about this Steelers squad, especially if you focus on the game within the game.

An animated T.J. Watt gets on the headset with Patrick Graham.

An animated T.J. Watt gets on the headset with Patrick Graham. Photo Credit: NFL on Amazon Prime.

Steelers Follow Tormented Template for Thursday Night AFC North Road Games

Thursday Night division road games have been terrible for the Steelers. Neither Chuck Noll, nor Bill Cowher, nor Mike Tomlin won one. Neither has Mike McCarthy, but his team did follow the same template that Tomlin laid down on a Thursday Night a year ago against the Bengals in the opposite corner of Ohio.

Both games saw the Steelers begin by scoring touchdowns on opening drives. Both saw the Steelers defense force fast punts on their Ohio opponent’s first possessions. In both games, the Steelers maintained control, until an untimely Aaron Rodgers interception flipped the momentum to the Ohio team.

And there, on both occasions, Pittsburgh’s opponents savaged a once-proud defense, with attacks on the ground followed by freely flowing passes downfield.

  • On both October nights, the Steelers offense fought back.

As he did in Cincinnati last year, Aaron Rodgers again in Cleveland would lead twin 4th quarter touchdown drives, culminating with touchdown passes to Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.

Pat Freiermuth, Jordan Battle, Steelers vs Bengals, Steelers vs Bengals TNF

Pat Freiermuth stiff arms Jordan Battle en route to the end zone. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

And, on both occasions, fans twirled their Terrible Towels celebrating Freiermuth’s touchdown while silently asking themselves – “Did Aaron Rodgers leave too much time on the clock?”

To that end, perhaps the Bengals and Browns should retaliate for “Renegade” by starting to play Styx’s “Too Much Time on Your Hands” during 4th quarter TV time outs, because both games ended with the Steelers offense leaving too much time on the clock for defenses incapable of making stops.

  • The similarities between these twin AFC North Thursday Night road losses are uncanny indeed.

But there are important differences in the dynamics of how both contest evolved, and those differences are where we can find insights.

The Game within The Game: On the Field, the Ugly Side

Here are two factoids that contradict each other while both being true:

  • If you take out the second quarter, the Steelers win 24 to 6
  • But that 2nd period is a candidate for the “worst quarter” in Steelers history

And that’s what makes this game so fascinating. The Steelers opened with a 17-play, nine-minute and 48-second drive that ended with a Roman Wilson rushing touchdown. The Steelers ran six times with Jaylen Warren getting five carries, while Aaron Rodgers hit four different receivers.

  • That’s the kind of ball-control football that would have given Ron Erhardt a wet dream.

While Steelers history buffs will appreciate that, what that opening drive reveals is that Mike McCarthy and his staff did an extremely good job of scripting their opening set of plays.

Roman Wilson runs in a touchdown to put the Steelers up 7-0 against the Browns on Thursday Night Football.

Roman Wilson runs in a 1st quarter touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

The same can be said for Patrick Graham’s defense, which limited the Browns to 9 plays and under 30 yards on their first two drives.

Really it looked like McCarthy was en route to cracking the code to winning on TNF…

…Until Aaron Rodgers threw a pick. Then, the bottom feel out on the Steelers across the board:

  • The offensive line failed to protect Rodgers
  • When it did, the receivers couldn’t gain separation, so Rodgers got sacked anyway
  • When receivers did get open, Rodgers misfired, often badly
  • Tackling became an optional duty for Steelers defenders
  • The secondary struggled to cover the Browns’ receivers
  • Chris Boswell missed a field goal

About the only thing going right for the Steelers was Jaylen Warren’s running and Cameron Johnston’s punting.

The Game Within the Game: On the Field, the Sunny Side

Anytime you give up 21 unanswered points in a quarter, things are going bad. Truth be told, some of the weakness the Browns exposed can be fixed, others may be systemic.

The Steelers had to swallow a bitter pill and ship Joey Porter Jr. off to Dallas, but there’s no universe where their secondary is better for the change. Unless Daylen Everette’s baptism by fire transforms him into the next Rod Woodson, there’s little the Steelers can do to address that until next spring.

But some of the things that the Steelers flashed in-game give reason for hope. Take a second look at the third and fourth quarters and you’ll see Mike McCarthy, his staff and players making adjustments in real time:

  • The offensive line improved, protecting Rodgers better.
  • Either through improved play-calling or  execution, the receivers finally gained separation in the 4th quarter
  • D.K. Metcalf delivered when his number was called
  • Patrick Graham’s defense kept the Browns out of the end zone in the 2nd half
  • Robert Spears-Jennings secured a momentum-shifting interception
  • The run blocking of the offensive line was borderline exceptional

Anyone who is unconvinced on the last point should re-watch Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick outmuscling the opposing defensive tackles on Aaron Rodgers’ QB sneak.

Likewise, those tempted to hit the panic button over Patrick Graham’s defense should also take into consideration that he made those adjustments sans starting cornerback Jamel Dean and Derrick Harmon.

But those adjustments weren’t sufficient for the Steelers to secure victory. That brings us to the game within the game off the field.

The Game within the Game: Off the Field = McCarthy’s Challenge

The Steelers’ loss to the Browns on Thursday Night Football also featured something not seen in last year’s in the TNF loss to the Bengals and seldom seen before.

  • The quarterback and head coach exchanging F-bombs
  • T.J. Watt demanding the headset for a heated exchange with his coordinator
  • Cam Heyward reading the riot act to the rest of the defense

There are two directions this dynamic can evolve. It can mark the moment when the veterans on the team raised their voices to straighten the ship. Or it can mark the moment where the coaching staff started losing control.

Mike McCarthy’s challenge coming out of the Browns game is to ensure this dynamic evolves constructively rather than destructively.

Follow @SteelCurtainRising

 

Please lend a hand by sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc... Thanks.