Browns Deliver Decisive End To Steelers Empire, Seek Their Own
Instead of allowing themselves to simply inherit their place within the AFC North, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers fall apart to age and financial restrictions, the Cleveland Browns led by Baker Mayfield and Myles Garrett went into Heinz Field and toppled an empire that survived into a fourth decade, earning their position and leaving an indelible mark on both franchises.
The Browns come away with the earned confidence of achievement, having taken down a division rival that haunted this franchise since they came back into the league, including exorcising the biggest symbol of that dominance in Ben Roethlisberger, ending his meaningful playing career.
Despite being down multiple players and coaches due to COVID-19, forced to utilize newfound teammates they hadn't even met until right before the game, the Browns scored 48 points and left the Steelers without any way to excuse their thorough defeat.
Entering the 2020 season, the Browns were trying to prove themselves a team to be taken seriously. They sought to erase the overwhelming disappointment of the 2019 season, eradicate the toxic environment that existed within the organization and come together as a team to fight for the respect they believed they deserved.
A first year head coach in Kevin Stefanski that was mocked as a head coaching candidate, discounted as a hire, focused his energy on what it would take to produce a successful team. Hiring and empowering teachers as much as coaches, treating players as if they have equity in the team and people rather than just football players, Stefanski had a vision and gave the Browns reason to share in it. The result was an accountable team that could rise to the moment under any circumstance, including not having their head coach present to guide them in the biggest game of the season.
Baker Mayfield was an instant star as a rookie. He was then written off as an immature fluke in his second season, who then took on the challenge of recapturing greatness and sustaining it as opposed to simply achieving it in year three. Through his work ethic and leadership, Mayfield thoroughly convinced the organization and teammates he would reach his immense potential long before he showed fans and critics that naturally needed to see it to believe it.
Myles Garrett's talent was unquestioned, but his character was. Fans and people who didn't even know him largely embraced Garrett in Northeast Ohio, seeing the man who visited random acts of kindness upon the community and was active helping causes that benefited the less fortunate. Many outside viewed him as a villain for the brutality and rage he displayed against the Steelers in 2019, resulting in a season-ending suspension.
This season, not only did Garrett once again show his immense ability on the field, taking his game to another level, he did his best to shine off of the field again, earning the team's nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year. He made an effort to open himself up more to teammates, taking a bigger role in leadership and allowing who he is to be as valuable as what he could do do.
The Steelers, meanwhile, approached 2020 as the last, best attempt to win the Super Bowl with their current roster. Ben Roethlisberger was coming back from elbow surgery after the team had managed to scratch and claw their way to a noteworthy 8-8 season despite his absence and nothing to replace him. The front office had done everything they could, pushing their salary cap to the limit to strengthen their team as much as possible for this final run.
11 games into the season, everything was going according to plan. The defense was outstanding. The offense had flaws but also provided hope that there might be a next step, that there was more to come by the the time they made the playoffs.
The last six weeks, the problems on offense didn't improve. Instead, they became debilitating. Injuries on the offensive line, which was mediocre to begin with further limited the offense. Roethlisberger's arm wasn't as strong and physically he suddenly looked every bit the quarterback with 16 years in the NFL.
The defense was still impressive, but with each passing week, they were being asked to carry more of the burden to win games and they vulnerabilities became more apparent.
Nevertheless, the Steelers were able to secure the division title and give themselves a shot to win the Super Bowl. With an extra week for their most significant players to rest and a smooth week of practice, they were in great shape to beat the Browns a second time when it mattered and advance in the playoffs.
Coming off of a comfortable victory over the New York Giants making the Browns 10-4, it looked as if they would cruise into the playoffs and it was a matter of the matchup and how they could perform. They would endure three weeks of hell as a result of COVID-19, losing both players and coaches along the way. They blew an opportunity to beat the hapless New York Jets and then struggled to beat the Steelers backups the final week of the season just to qualify for the postseason.
The Steelers appeared to have a decisive advantage.
When the game finally started, without their head coach and a handful of consequential players, the Browns came out with a remarkable level of focus and energy that met a Steelers team that stumbled out of the game and looked old.
It started with an errant Maurkice Pouncey snap sailed over the head of Roethlisberger landing at the goal line that was recovered by Karl Joseph for a touchdown and didn't end until after Kareem Hunt had scored his second touchdown, giving the Browns a 28-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.
The Steelers found their footing and they were able to fight back, reminding the Browns they still had teeth and wouldn't be dispatched easily even with such a substantial lead.
Their defense was able to produce stops against the Browns offense and facilitate opportunities to get out of the deep hole on the scoreboard. The Steelers offensive line had adapted to what the Browns were throwing at him and were able to protect Roethlisberger. He responded by picking apart the Browns defense with little resistance.
The Steelers would score 16 unanswered points, making the score 35-23 late in the third quarter as fear and dread, reminders of failures past began to enter the minds of Browns fans. The final possession before the half ended in a field goal and the first two possessions in the third quarter resulted in touchdowns.
After their final punt of the game, the Browns defense was able to force the Steelers into a 4th-and-1 situation at midfield. Rather go for it, the Steelers took a delay of game penalty and then punted the ball, which went for a touchback.
It was at this point, Mayfield reestablished the Browns offense and took over control of the game. Coming out passing, Mayfield found Donovan Peoples-Jones for 8 yards after the rookie had fallen down on a pass in a previous possession that ended a drive. After an incomplete pass to Rashard Higgins, Mayfield found Jarvis Landry underneath with room to run up the right sideline for 17 yards, then followed it up with a 14-yard completion to Landry in the middle of the field.
The Steelers had been sending relentless pressure, unsuccessfully, to try to pressure Mayfield and the Brown finally took advantage. They called a screen going to the right where Nick Chubb was able to catch the ball with space and blockers in front of him, running untouched all the way to the end zone for for a 40-yard touchdown.
The Browns kicked the extra point and once again had a three-score lead, 42-23. Mayfield and the offense understood they had to win the game rather than try not losing it. Combined with a smart play call, they found a way to deliver a devastating blow to the Steelers in the final quarter of the game.
Mayfield never flinched. There were throws he wasn't happy with and times teammates missed plays that could've been made, but he stayed focused throughout, not getting too high or low. The rest of the offense went with him, which became critical as they needed contributions from players that made mistakes as well as those they hoped they wouldn't have to play at all.
Victory seemed secure. It didn't matter that the Steelers would score another touchdown in four plays, taking just 1:34 of game clock to do it. The Browns still had a two score lead and Mayfield wasn't going to allow his team to lose.
Taking a more balanced approach, the Browns engineered a drive that took 13 plays, went 59 yards as 6:40 came off the clock, resulting in a field goal that gave the Browns a 45-29 lead. Both the 16-point lead and the length of the drive sucked the remaining life from the Steelers.
Roethlisberger would throw one final interception to Sione Takitaki, signifying the end of one era and the potential beginning of another. The Steelers were suddenly forced to deal with the reality they had no answer at quarterback and their offensive line was crumbling before their eyes. A number of players were wearing that uniform for the final time and their salary cap would take at least one season to address.
The Steelers aren't likely to suddenly become a bottom feeder because they still have a handful of elite players, but they are no longer a factor as a playoff contender for the foreseeable future. The AFC North is now a battle between the Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. The Cincinnati Bengals have an opportunity to surpass the Steelers if they can avoid squandering it.
The Browns, meanwhile, might be at risk of getting blown out by the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, but they have nothing to lose and have firmly secured their place as a Super Bowl contender. They were able to rack up 11 regular season wins, secure a playoff victory on the road and have every reason to believe they can be even better the next few seasons.
Certainty at head coach as well as quarterback isn't something the Browns have had since the 1980s, which coincidentally the last time the Steelers sustained consistent mediocrity near the end of Chuck Knoll's legendary career.
Neither side knows quite how to process the situation, but the Browns are hoping to give their fans several seasons to make the adjustment while the Steelers are now faced with the unfamiliar challenge of figuring out how to catch the Browns.
May the Browns reign be a long and glorious one.
