The Pittsburgh Steelers just took a brutal 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in Week 4, and the fallout is already hitting hard. They clawed back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, only to get iced out by a game-winning field goal from the Browns with mere seconds left. Seriously, that’s gotta sting. Plus, that loss pushes Pittsburgh’s all-time record in Cleveland on TNF to a dismal 0-5. Yikes.
That Thursday Night Fiasco and the Crashing Rankings
You know it’s bad when media outlets across the board start dropping you like a hot potato in their power rankings. FOX Sports slammed the Steelers down eight spots, from No. 14 to No. 22. They were blunt, saying Aaron Rodgers’ deep throws “wobble more than their place in these rankings” and his mobility is “completely shot.” Ouch. While Rodgers showed flashes of stellar play in the second half, FOX thinks the Steelers *need* him to be consistent because Jaylen Warren’s running game and T.J. Watt’s defense apparently “aren’t very good.”
The Athletic, CBS Sports, NFL.com, and Yahoo! Sports all piled on too. The Athletic dropped them six spots to No. 20, with CBS Sports kicking them eight spots to No. 21. Even Yahoo! Sports saw them tumble four spots to No. 21, and NFL.com delivered a six-spot drop, going from No. 19 to No. 25. The only outlier was Pro Football Talk, who only moved them one spot from No. 13 to No. 14, but their outlook was still super grim.
Rodgers and McCarthy’s Meltdown Is NOT the Vibe
This isn’t just about losing on the field, it’s about the drama boiling over. The Athletic straight up said Rodgers’ reunion with Mike McCarthy was “supposed to be a feel-good success story,” but instead, McCarthy was apologizing after the game for a “profane on-field exchange” between the two that was caught by TV cameras. You love to see it, right? Except if you’re a Steelers fan.
NFL.com highlighted how the Steelers’ offense “fell back into a rut for most of Thursday night,” and that relationship between Rodgers and McCarthy “seemed to sour further.” It wasn’t until a “desperate fourth quarter” that Rodgers and DK Metcalf finally lit up Cleveland’s secondary for a game-tying score. But hey, that late burst doesn’t just erase all the earlier issues, does it? CBS Sports is already questioning if they can even compete for a division title, and it all comes back to needing more consistent offense.
Defense? What Defense?
If you thought the offense and QB drama was bad, wait until you hear about the defense. Yahoo! Sports pulled no punches, declaring that “the days of this Steelers defense scaring anyone are probably over.” They’re not just saying it, they’ve got numbers: 15th in defensive DVOA, 14th in EPA allowed per play, 23rd in success rate allowed, and 13th in yards per game allowed. Oof.
And get this, Deshaun Watson, despite facing an offensive line missing two starters (one replaced by a rookie!), had a field day. Watson went 14-of-17 for 181 yards and a touchdown just in the first half of that game, and then he just casually orchestrated the game-winning drive. NFL.com pointed out that Pittsburgh’s defense “failed to get after Deshaun Watson” even with those O-line issues. That’s a major red flag, folks.
The outlook is bleak. Pro Football Talk is saying 9-8 is the best-case scenario for the Steelers, with a worst-case scenario seeing Will Howard or Drew Allar getting game reps after Thanksgiving. Right now, NFL.com just calls them a “middling-at-best team.” You gotta wonder if they can even compete for a division title after that. Fans gotta hope they can pull it together, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
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