Waking up this past Friday morning was not as happy as weeks past for Steelers fans, as they dropped to 8-3 after a loss against the Cleveland Browns. The game was a lot of fun to watch with snow coming down and teams battling back and forth to the end, but Pittsburgh unfortunately was on the losing end of things. Below are some thoughts following the game.

Myles Garrett Was a Problem

It is hard to give this man credit as a Steelers fan, but Garrett had himself a game. He totaled 5 tackles and 3 sacks during the contest, one of which was a strip sack. His presence was absolutely felt. Kudos to Garrett for playing well and for giving the Steelers offensive line fits. Dan Moore, Jr. tried his hardest, but he unfortunately was bested this week. Although Garrett is an elite pass rusher, this is still an area that perhaps Pittsburgh could focus on in the coming weeks to try and improve upon.

Execution on Third and Fourth Downs Was Lacking

Pittsburgh had two drives that ended in a turnover on downs. On both occasions, the Steelers were stuffed at the line of scrimmage while attempting to rush for a first down on 4th and short. They were 7 for 16 on their third down conversions. While I don’t disagree with going for it on 4th down in certain situations, it was certainly disheartening to see two failed 4th and shorts on Thursday night. In both instances, it felt as though the Steelers were bullied at the line of scrimmage. Hats off to the Browns defensive line for being so physical, but it felt like a punch to the gut watching the Steelers offensive line be outmuscled on both occasions.

If the Steelers are able to convert more on 3rd and 4th downs, there is a potential that the outcome of this game would have been very different.

Justin Fields’ Involvement Will Be Beneficial Down the Stretch

Fields was called upon in several instances during the game. Some plays were successful while some were not. However, I don’t think the unsuccessful plays should be overly discouraging. Fields adds another element to defend when is on the field with his legs. Although Russell Wilson, in my opinion, is the better passer, Fields does provide a dual threat that the defense has to at least consider when he is on the field. While I think starting Wilson is the absolute right decision, there are some game situations where I would argue that Fields is more of a headache for opposing defenses than Wilson.

Fields’ best play came on a 30-yard scamper down the sideline in the 4th quarter. Pittsburgh was later able to score a touchdown on that drive. I look to see Fields involved in every game moving forward in some capacity.

The Turnover Battle was Won, but Pittsburgh Needs to Play Better Complimentary Football

The Steelers defense accumulated 2 fumble recoveries and an interception for a total of 3 turnovers. The Browns were only able to produce 1. A +2 turnover differential more often than not leads to a victory, but this was not the case on Thursday night. Although the offense is much improved from recent seasons of the past, there were still too many drives that stalled out and resulted in either field goals or no points at all. I am hopeful that this game can be a point to build from in the coming games; more efficiency on offense is going to be essential should the Steelers make the playoffs.

This is only one game and all teams can have bad outings, but this is certainly something that needs some attention in practice this week.