Steelers' Bryant McFadden Hits Team With Lack Of Urgency Claim After Loss To Inferior Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a blunder that they have been known to do: come off of a statement win against a supposedly elite team, only to not take their next opponent seriously and lose a game that they should have won. They fell to the 2-8 Cleveland Browns by a score of 24-19 in a tight division game in a snow globe. While it is hard to prepare for those kinds of conditions, especially on a short week, the Browns managed to adapt accordingly, while the Steelers failed to do so.

After the game, former Steelers cornerback, Bryant McFadden helped recap the loss on CBS Sports, and he had a lot of criticisms for how the team played in that scenario.

"The slow start is what led the Browns to be able to do what they did in terms of upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers. One thing you know about AFC North football: you have to throw records and resumes out of the window... I was concerned. I felt like the sense of urgency should be there. We didn't see that, and then when they got things rolling, it wasn't just about going against the Cleveland Browns, but also Mother Nature -- who was not on any team's side -- in the second half, played a big part to come out with a huge win for the Cleveland Browns."

During the first half, the weather was not horrible yet. The playing surface was still green, but the snow was starting to come down. Despite that, the Steelers only had one drive longer than 40 yards in that half. Russell Wilson even coughed up a fumble to set the Browns up in field goal range. The score was 10-3 at half.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Browns took a commanding 18-6 lead, and it seemed like the Steelers had no answers. By this time, they had repeatedly failed on 3rd and 4th-and-short on plays where the defensive line met the ball-carrier in the backfield each time. With the snow accumulating on the field, it did not seem like the Steelers had much of a chance.

Even then, they found their sense of urgency. After cutting the lead to 18-13, Nick Herbig got a strip sack to set the Steelers up in great field position, and they took the lead on that very next drive. After Donte Jackson picked off his fourth pass of the season, it seemed like the Steelers had the game in the bag. Unfortunately, that didn't end up being the case.

Steelers Get Too Comfortable With One-Point Lead

Corliss Waitman had his first truly bad punt of the season, which also set the Browns up nicely. From there, the defense allowed multiple big plays, including Head Coach Mike Tomlin forgetting some of the rules entirely. The whole team was discombobulated for most of the game, and they were lucky to have a lead at all in the fourth quarter. 

The concerning thing is not that the Steelers fell to a division rival on the road. The problem is that they keep falling for the same trap over and over again. After Matt Canada was fired last season and they had their best offensive output in years the following game in terms of yards gained, they fell to two 2-10 teams in back-to-back weeks. That skid nearly cost them a playoff spot.

If the Steelers are not careful, they could easily end up in a very similar skid. Despite the loss, they still have control of the AFC North. However, they can't get comfortable with this lead. The Baltimore Ravens are still right on their tail, and they have the firepower to capitalize on the Steelers' potential downfall. They have to take this mini-bye week to regroup and prepare to face the Cincinnati Bengals.

What do you think about the Steelers' lack of urgency against the Browns? Let us know in the comments.

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