Steelers-Browns Aftermath: Dissecting The Dreadful Tie

PITTSBURGH, PA - In an ugly and unsatisfying performance, the Steelers frittered away a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter and ended up tying the lowly Cleveland Browns Sunday 21-21. The turnover-prone Steelers late collapse gave the Browns their best start to a season since 2004 at 0-0-1.

Here’s what football writers are saying about this train wreck of a game:

• Jarrett Bell, USA Today: “What a tease for the Browns and their rabid base. How often does a team force six turnovers and not win? According to ESPN, NFL teams are 132-4-1 when they have a turnover margin of plus-5 or better, and the Browns can claim two of the losses and now the tie. It was like Lucy showed up and pulled the ball from Charlie Brown.”

• John Breech, CBS Sports: “The biggest issue for the Steelers right now might not be Le’Veon Bell, but Ben Roethlisberger. The man who has threatened to retire in the past played like a guy who wished he was in retirement against the Browns. The only thing that saved Roethlisberger and the Steelers was the fact that the Browns' offense still looks inept. If there's one team in the NFL that can't take advantage of winning the turnover battle by five, it's definitely the Browns.”

• Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated: “Browns quarterback) Tyrod Taylor didn’t exactly set the world on fire on Sunday either, throwing for 197 yards, a touchdown and a pick on 15-of-40 passing for the Browns against Pittsburgh. Those numbers were a part of why Cleveland struggled to get even a tie despite generating six takeaways on defense.”

• Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer: “These are not The Same Old Browns. For years, Browns fans have watched their team lose close game after close game just like this to the Steelers and future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. But they didn't. That's real progress.”

• Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports:”The Browns will take their tie, as it ensures they won’t go 0-16 like they did last season...it does break the Browns’ losing streak, technically. It’s the first time the Browns played and didn’t lose since before Christmas in 2016. That’s progress, though it probably doesn’t feel like it due to how it ended.”

Photo via Shutterstock.

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