Browns After 27-6 Loss in Pittsburgh: Deshaun Watson Sacked 8 Times, 'Don't Try to Be a Hero' and What's Next

The day after the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-6 on Sunday, Nov. 1, the main story in Cleveland is the pressure on its quarterback. Deshaun Watson was sacked eight times, which ties his career high. The Browns fell out of first place in the AFC North to 5-3, and Pittsburgh moved to 6-2, according to the Associated Press.

It was Pittsburgh’s 23rd straight regular-season home win over Cleveland at Acrisure Stadium. The AP noted that ties the NFL record for consecutive home wins over one opponent, set by Green Bay against Detroit from 1992 to 2014.

Deshaun Watson: ‘Don’t try to be a hero’

Watson didn’t blame his offensive line. He said the fix starts with him getting the ball out faster.

“Just got to get rid of the ball, try to find completions as much as I possibly can, try to find my checkdowns,” Watson said, per the Akron Beacon Journal. “So just really just try to get the ball in my hands and don’t try to be a hero, try to make the play, extend the play as much as possible, just kind of understanding the game and the situation.”

His box score looked fine: 27 of 39 for 324 yards and a 94.4 passer rating, the Beacon Journal reported. The AP said many of those yards came in garbage time. Cleveland finished with 300 total yards, and only 34 of them came on the ground.

The early hit and Shedeur Sanders’ brief stint

The tone was set on the first series. Watson was sacked on second down, then took a late hit from safety Jaquan Brisker on third down. That drew a roughing-the-passer flag and sent him to the medical tent for a concussion evaluation, per the Beacon Journal. Watson said the staff was “just checking,” and he returned for the next series.

Shedeur Sanders came in for the rest of that possession. It was the second time this season he has replaced Watson after a roughing penalty, the Beacon Journal said. The drive included a holding call and ended with a Harold Fannin Jr. fumble.

Why the Browns’ offense stalled

Players pointed to a run game that never got going:

• Running back Quinshon Judkins had 25 yards on 11 carries. A week earlier, Cleveland ran for a season-high 183 yards against Tennessee.
• Right tackle Tytus Howard said Pittsburgh stacked the box more than in Week 4. Watson said the Steelers “blitzed a lot more” to disrupt the run blocking.
• “We were in third and long too much, and that’s a recipe for bad business,” Howard said.

The Browns also came up empty near the goal line. According to the Beacon Journal, five of their last eight real possessions reached the Pittsburgh 30, and two got inside the 5, but none produced points. Rookie Denzel Boston made a one-handed catch on a fourth-down throw in the end zone but got only one foot down. The game ended with Cleveland at the Pittsburgh 1 after a stuffed run and a false start.

Monken and Verse react

“There’s no doubt about it, we’re certainly capable of a hell of a lot better than that,” first-year coach Todd Monken said, per the AP. “Bottom line in this league is you speak with your play, and we didn’t play well enough today.”

Defensive end Jared Verse, who said during the week that Cleveland would “make Pittsburgh ours,” finished with one assisted tackle. “I stand by everything I say,” he said. “I don’t know who the hell that team was that walked out there.”

AFC North standings

Pittsburgh (6-2) is alone in first place, a game ahead of Cleveland (5-3), and split the season series after losing in Cleveland in Week 4. Dawgs By Nature noted that, depending on other results, the Browns could still sit second in the division and in wild-card position.

Steelers and Browns schedules: what’s next

• Steelers: Bye week. Pittsburgh carries a four-game winning streak into the break. Jaylen Warren tied a career high with 143 rushing yards, and the team ran for 200 yards, per the AP.
• Browns: Stay on the road to face the New Orleans Saints, according to Dawgs By Nature.

Injuries

Cleveland defensive tackle Maliek Collins hurt his elbow in the first half, and cornerback Tyson Campbell was evaluated for a possible concussion, the AP reported.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Steelers Beat Browns 27-6: Jaylen Warren Runs for 143 Yards as Pittsburgh Takes AFC North Lead (Nov 1)