The Pittsburgh Steelers brought great positive energy for their 2023 Week 11 matchup with the Cleveland Browns; unfortunately, the offense ensured that any positivity was snuffed out as swiftly as possible. While it was another defensive AFC North battle, the Steelers' offense proved yet again how inept they are, only this time, they did it in all four quarters instead of manufacturing some form of a comeback. One would think that there would be some accountability after a divisional loss like the Steelers just suffered. Yet, Mike Tomlin seemed content to do the verbal equivalent of a shrug-off when given those opportunities by the media.
Ron Schwane / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin showed dangerous signs of not recognizing the reality of where the 2023 Steelers are after the Week 11 loss to the Browns
Steelers Refusing To Accept Their Situation
The Steelers have to know that this wasn't just a loss; this was a complete reversal of the momentum that had carried them through two rather impressive victories over the Tennessee Titans and the Green Bay Packers. They had found ways to eke out victories by coming alive in the fourth quarter, but against the Browns on Sunday, they did nothing of the sort.
Following the painful 13-10 Week 11 loss, Tomlin spoke to the media, and the excuses we all expected were right there waiting for us. Not only did Tomlin open his postgame presser by bending over backward to avoid making the offense take any responsibility for the travesty that had just occurred, but he also refused to admit to both the reporters and himself that the situation was not good in Pittsburgh.
It began with Tomlin stating with a single word that Kenny Pickett was not missing any confidence, despite what everyone had just seen transpire in the loss. From there, Tomlin simply kept digging the hole when he asked what he saw from Pickett that wasn't clicking.
"You know, I think the Cleveland Browns had a lot to do with that. I'd be, you know, disingenuous, man, if I didn't compliment them on their players, their schematics, how they played today, the venue component of it."
Not once in that response did Tomlin even begin to admit that the game Pickett played was much less than the Pittsburgh standard, even if that particular standard took a hit in 2023. Tomlin is a veteran future Hall of Fame head coach, and for him to let Pickett and the offense off the hook like he did was embarrassing for the franchise and for him as an NFL coach.
Pickett finished the game with a grand total of 106 yards passing, which amounted to a pathetic 3.8 yards per pass. The porous offensive line didn't do any favors by allowing pressure constantly, and Pickett ended up with a 62.5 rating. Tomlin ended the answer by barely eluding to the offense, but nothing close to what was deserved.
"From an offensive perspective, there's a lot of things that were challenging today."
You would think that when your quarterback holds a large chunk of responsibility for the divisional loss you just went through, the head coach would at least be able to admit the reality of the situation. Instead, Tomlin shrugged away by blaming the stadium noise and the Browns' game plan without even a whisper about his team. That is simply inexcusable, and if he were anyone other than Tomlin, his would be the hottest seat in the league.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has shown concerning signs of regression throughout 2023 so far
Steelers Unable To Cope With Loss To Cleveland
The Steelers brought a 6-3 record into their 2023 Week 11 game against the Browns, and there was an uneasy feeling about that winning record considering the manner in which the Steelers went about getting their victories.
The strategy of barely holding on until the final quarter had gotten them in the mix of the AFC playoff race prior to their Week 11 nightmare, but now it seems like we saw the real Pittsburgh team rather than the miraculous comeback kids that they have been in 2023.
Benjamin B. Braun / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren put on another show in their 2023 Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns
Perhaps the idea of facing a rookie quarterback against a divisional opponent got into the Steelers' heads; maybe they listened to the national media who kept imagining a 7-3 Pittsburgh team taking the league by surprise, but whatever happened, it caused a meltdown worse than usual in 2023. The dream of getting through Weeks 11 and 12 of 2023 unscathed in the AFC North is gone, but it feels like the Steelers lost more than just a game on Sunday. The energy behind their cardiac wins was almost propelling Pittsburgh to find these inventive ways to walk out of games with a victory. As exciting as it was, there was nothing sustainable about that approach.
The Browns flexed their league-leading defense and exposed the Steelers for the offensive whimper they are, wasting another wonderful Jaylen Warren performance and proving that the fear of every Steelers fan came true as Cleveland climbed atop Pittsburgh in the AFC North. There are realities to be faced now, and a significant worry is that Tomlin is so detached from reality that he won't know how to accept what is happening in 2023.
Which Steelers' coaches should be fired following the 2023 season?
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