CLEVELAND — A funny thing happened on the way to the AFC North division championship and a return trip to the playoffs for the Browns: They forgot that you have to win those games to get there.
On this Sunday afternoon, they come up and lose to the Steelers at home. It was a day of real frustration throughout the course of the afternoon.
It started early on the Browns' first possession, which ended with a field goal but could've ended with a touchdown. A dropped ball at the 5-yard line between Baker Mayfield and Austin Hooper forced them to settle for three points instead of seven.
Then, on their next possession, fourth-and-inches from the Steeler 40, they ran wide with Nick Chubb and didn't get it. Pittsburgh took the momentum, went back down, and tied the ballgame up.
But in the second half — even after losing the lead and trailing by five — the Browns had their opportunities.
Instead, Jarvis Landry is stripped of the football and fumbles at the Pittsburgh 20 with Cleveland trying to drive for the go-ahead score. Still, they would get the ball back and get it as close as the Steeler 24-yard line thanks to Pittsburgh roughing the passer.
Then the Browns self-disintegrated on third down and fourth down, with the first seeing a false start penalty from Rashard Higgins and the second an incomplete Mayfield pass intended for Landry. "Big Ben" Roethlisberger was able to milk the clock from there and give the Steelers perhaps their biggest win of the year.
Pittsburgh now goes to 4-3 on the season and the Browns drop to 4-4, and more importantly, 0-1 in the division. A trip to Cincinnati looms next week, and imagine opportunity lost? The Bengals lost to the Jets this afternoon.
But there are more problems for the Browns, such as another big injury on the offensive line. Jack Conklin had just come back today, and sure enough went down early in the game with an elbow injury. The team had injuries on the defensive side, too.
Nick Chubb wasn't the Nick Chubb of old after coming back from the MCL sprain. The offensive line giving any running back any kind of holes, unlike when they carved up the Denver Bronco defense a couple of Thursday nights ago.
Baker Mayfield seemed scattered throughout the day playing with that bad shoulder. He was frantic inside the pocket as well as high and wide on a lot of throws. They simply could never get into rhythm.
Now, is it time to push the panic button? It's getting close. They're 4-4, and even though we're really at the halfway point, the division is running away from them. Baltimore sits in first with Cincinnati looming, and maybe Pittsburgh has an injection of life into its season.
The Browns must find answers, and at least for next week are going to have to find a ton more points. No matter what the Bengals do in the game next Sunday, it's going to take a lot more than 10 points to come out of Paul Brown Stadium with a win.
For now, a packed house goes home kind of unhappy on Halloween.
Listen below for Jimmy's top calls from today's game: