A highly anticipated divisional matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns on Monday night ended in a win clinched by Pittsburgh during the fourth quarter. The pivotal moment in the game occurred when Alex Highsmith, who had already scored a pick-six on the very first play of the game, made it past the Browns' offensive line and successfully forced the ball from Deshaun Watson's grip. In addition to his efforts, it is also important to highlight the influence of Joey Porter Jr., whose exceptional coverage on Donovan Peoples-Jones added to the Steelers' defensive success.
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Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.
The Steelers have established an impressive record in the past, winning 20 consecutive regular season matchups against the Browns while playing on their home field. It is a remarkable achievement, considering the Browns have failed to secure a victory in Pittsburgh during regular season games for the past two decades. The last time the Browns managed to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh was back in 2003 and occurred just one year prior to the Steelers selecting Ben Roethlisberger in the NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won 20 consecutive regular-season home games against the Cleveland Browns.
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 19, 2023
In his latest podcast episode on Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the future Hall of Famer gave a break-down of the game and spoke on the main takeaways from Week 2. Towards the end of the video, he underscored the significance of this particular victory in upholding the Steelers' record of consecutive Monday night wins. Roethlisberger also referenced the Browns after the game ended.
"Some things never change, eh Cleveland?"
The Browns have been unable to secure a victory against the Steelers since Tim Couch held the quarterback position. Despite this, the Browns did manage to beat Pittsburgh in a Wild Card game during 2021, but have yet to break the regular season streak.
NFL
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger avoids an oncoming Cleveland Browns pass rusher to attempt a pass during the 2014 home opener in Week 1.
Pittsburgh is undeniably one of the most demanding places for opponents to play. The combination of a raucous crowd and the pure physicality of the Steelers make it especially difficult for any opponent. The atmosphere reaches a fever pitch when the fans unleash their iconic "Terrible Towels," rendering it even more challenging for the other team to come out victorious. Monday Night Football takes this electrifying environment to a whole new level, as it presents these passionate fans in their home city. The home-field advantage that the Steelers enjoy is already immensely valuable on any regular Sunday afternoon, but when the NFL schedules them for Monday, it becomes a significant hurdle for their opponents.
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Pittsburgh Steelers fans go wild and wave their Terrible Towels the second the song Renegade starts.
In back-to-back games, the Pittsburgh offense has once again fallen short of the high hopes set during the preseason. Kenny Pickett, the team's quarterback, managed to complete only 50% of his 30 pass attempts. Additionally, the Steelers' rushing game struggled, accumulating a mere 55 yards on 21 carries, a rather unimpressive figure. However, there was one shining moment for Pittsburgh in which Pickett demonstrated an increasingly strong connection with George Pickens, resulting in a 71-yard touchdown play.
#Steelers QB Kenny Pickett connect to WR George Pickens for a 70 yard touchdown!#Browns- 11
— SportsCastProductions (@SportsCastProd0) September 19, 2023
2Q#Steelers- 16
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Steelers Overall Offensive Performance Has Room For Improvement
In the game, Pickens displayed his unwavering talent and skill by amassing 127 yards on four receptions, making him the player with the highest yardage achieved. Despite being targeted by Pickett a total of 10 times, the offense as a whole requires urgent attention. Pickett's performance once again faced challenges, as he threw his third interception this season. The run game also encountered difficulties, with Najee Harris managing to accumulate a mere 43 yards on 10 carries. These shortcomings in both passing and rushing aspects indicate the pressing need for the team to address their offensive strategies promptly.
Regardless of their flaws, the Steelers still came out with a win, leveling their win-loss ratio to 1-1. Although Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin expected a more impressive performance from his offense, he refused to diminish the significance of Pittsburgh's achievements on Monday night. His team now sets their sights on achieving a 2-1 record by defeating the Las Vegas Raiders this upcoming Sunday.
How did you react to Pittsburgh's performance against Cleveland? What do you expect to see from them on Sunday? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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