Despite having the chance to clinch the AFC North with a win or a tie, the Pittsburgh Steelers just could not get the job done against the Cleveland Browns. They had a chance, with four straight shots at the end zone inside the 10-yard line. Yet throughout the day, the Steelers just weren’t able to convert. Throughout the loss, the Steelers were plagued by a combination of questionable coaching decisions and just poor execution.
Some of those coaching decisions were very puzzling to former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. In a live stream for his Footbahlin show during the game, Roethlisberger questioned the Steelers’ decision to run three straight times before punting in the fourth quarter.
“I’m frustrated with that. I understand sometimes that running the ball on third down is fine. But your quarterback is a Hall of Famer. I’m not taking the ball out of his hands. Guys, I’m with you, I don’t understand that one,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t understand that call either. So I don’t know what to tell you.”
Down by four points with just over seven minutes left, the Steelers got the ball at their own 43-yard line. And the drive did start well with a seven-yard run from Jaylen Warren. On the next play, Warren ran to the right and was stopped for a loss of a yard. Then on 3rd-and-4, Gainwell ran around the right side. He had absolutely no blocking, was stopped for a loss of two and the Steelers had to punt.
Throwing the ball was always going to be hard without DK Metcalf. So it’s hard to blame the Steelers for wanting to stick to the run game. But on this sequence of plays, it just didn’t make a ton of sense. Especially on 3rd-and-4. The blocking and execution from Gainwell wasn’t bad on the play. But the Steelers were just outnumbered on that side of the field and never really had a chance.
Down four halfway through the fourth quarter, being forced to punt on a drive in which your Hall of Fame quarterback doesn’t even throw the ball stings. That wasn’t Roethlisberger’s only qualm, either. Late in the game, the Steelers elected to keep the offense on the field for 4th and 10 at Pittsburgh’s 20-yard line. Roethlisberger would have decided to punt there instead.
“I don’t understand that, really, I know they’re saying, okay, if we hold them and they get a field goal, we can still win it,” Roethlisberger said before walking off his set. “I don’t know that I would have went for it there, I don’t know what the thought process is there, I’m not really sure.”
A field goal from the Browns made it 13-6, so it was still a one-possession game for the Steelers. And the Steelers did have a chance to still tie the game, and potentially even win it in the final seconds. So the decision to go for it so close to their own end zone didn’t end up killing the Steelers’ chances.
It certainly was a un-Mike Tomlin-like decision, though. And Roethlisberger isn’t wrong to criticize the coaching. The defense did its job, but the offense was dreadful. All the targets to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the final drive, as well as the lack of passing plays a couple of drives before are curious decisions in the Steelers’ loss to the Browns. Now, the Steelers have no choice but to beat the Ravens next week to earn a playoff berth.