Let's start this off with a question! What hurts MORE than the Browns loss to the Steelers Sunday in the House of Bribes"? The BROWNS were the team with more talent and no doubt the guys from the Steel City had more heart! Think about this - while so many Browns players are telling us that they are going to the Big Game in February they neglected to remind themselves that in order to get they must WIN many more games than they lose and they must catch, block, tackle, defend the pass, run and not make stupid mistakes in order to accomplish this goal. Even more egregious was the fact Pittsburgh took points off the board when their kicker went out with a concussion during a fake field goal try and indeed the Browns scored 10...10 points in the game. There's more...much more! I knew, you knew and the team knew Big Ben is near the end of a Hall of Fame career and that getting the ball out quickly underneath or to the sidelines is his new Modus Operandi but one should also never forget the man is 24-3-1 against the Browns as a starter and 12-2-1 in Cleveland. Truly Ben has the Browns number but this was the game to end his dominance and remind all that the BROWNS are the new face of the AFC North.
There is no doubt superior coaching also figured into the Steelers win and that almost was a moot point as trickery by Mike Tomlin coast the Black and Gold their place kicker. What do the "proverbial they" say about getting too cute? YES the gent we have a football crush on Kevin Stefanski was sub par in his play calling and that can not be questioned.
Now the rabble will immediately go after the lightening rod that is Baker Mayfield and the loss was not on Baker in any way, shape or form.
Disappointing? Heck yes! Devastating? Yes! Insurmountable? NO! Four more games before the "real bye" and there is chance the team will go 1-3 in their next 4. That would be the death knell as far as the playoffs are concerned.
Bottom line...PLAY THE GAME BROWNS as of EVERY PLAY DEPENDS ON THE OUTCOME. That differentiates winners from losers and right now...you are NOT winners.