PITTSBURGH — The Cleveland Browns‘ appearance on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers has been one of the most hyped regular season games in recent memory.
To say that it got off on the wrong foot foot would be a gross understatement.
On the first offensive play of the game, Deshaun Watson’s pass slipped through tight end Harrison Bryant’s hands into the arms of Pittsburgh linebacker Alex Highsmith for a pick six.
With the Steelers faithful rocking Acrisure Stadium, the Browns responded with a Dustin Hopkins field goal to calm the nerves and prevent an avalanche of momentum to swing in favor of Pittsburgh.
Cleveland threatened to turn the momentum squarely on their side after picking off Steelers QB Kenny Pickett on Pittsburgh’s first offensive possession, but failed to turn the opportunity into points after the offense sputtered and kicker Dustin Hopkins failed to convert on a 43-yard field goal.
That’s when the first quarter took a bizarre turn.
Following a Steelers punt, the Browns drove to the Pittsburgh 43-yard-line needing only a single yard on third and fourth downs, Kevin Stefanski dialed up a Jerome Ford run and Deshaun Watson read-option, which Watson ended up fumbling.
On the Steelers following possession, Pickett’s first throw was completed to TE Gunner Olszewski then fumbled after a thunderous hit by Denzel Ward, recovered by Grand Delpit, returned for 14 yards before Delpit fumbled the ball out of bounds.
Early in the second quarter, Nick Chubb had to be carted off the field after a gruesome knee injury during a rushing attempt in the Pittsburgh red zone. The Browns scored on a Jerome Ford TD reception on the very next play, but it’s safe to say the injury deflated the entire team.
Below are three first half observations from a uniquely bizarre first half in Pittsburgh:
1. Next man up, if there is one
It seemed like the entire Browns team was shell shocked after Nick Chubb was carted off the field. The Steelers had no answer for Chubb early as he racked up 64 yards before his injury. Now with Chubb sidelined for the rest of the game, and likely the rest of the season, the Browns will turn to second year RB Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr., acquired by the Browns in a trade with the New England Patriots last month.
With the recent news of the Los Angeles Rams shopping running back Cam Akers, who has fallen out of favor in Sean McVay’s offense, you have to wonder if a team like the Browns will now enter the conversation for a more experienced option.
2. Franchise QB needed
Whether you want to blame it on preseason rust, limited playing time in the past two years or the Steelers defensive line feasting on the Browns’ offensive line, Deshaun Watson has yet to find a way to get into any kind of a rhythm in the first six quarters of football.
Watson’s first half left a lot to be desired only completing 10 of 21 passes with a TD and an interception.
3. Tale of Two Tackles
The Browns’ offensive woes can’t only be contributed to Nick Chubb’s injury and Deshaun Watson’s inconsistent play. Rookie right tackle Dawand Jones is having quite the “welcome to the NFL” experience in his first start following Jack Conklin’s injury. T.J. Watt blew past Jones on a 3rd and 8 play to sack Watson to force a long Hopkins field goal attempt.
Both Jones and Jed Wills were flagged for holding penalties in the first half. The pocket has consistently collapsed around Deshaun Watson in the first half.
The list of “things that went wrong” for the Browns is many in the first half. Perhaps the only silver lining taken from those first two ugly quarters of Monday Night Football is that for as bad as Cleveland played, they only found themselves down by two at half (16-14).