CLEVELAND — Nick Chubb As the runner, he ran for 113 yard and scored a touchdown. Cleveland Browns To beat their rival, they won the second-half. Pittsburgh Steelers 29-17 Thursday, FirstEnergy Stadium
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Large receiver Amari Cooper The onside kick, which allowed for the New York Jets Amazing comeback on Sunday. Cooper made amends for his mistake Thursday night against Steelers.
He was able to finish with seven receptions of 101 yards and one touchdown that propelled the Browns to victory.
Cooper stated that “We’ve got the ability to take it all in, learn from it, and flush it” during the Jets collapse. Cooper led Cleveland’s rebound performance as the Browns (2-1), claimed first place on the AFC North standings.
Pivotal play: To begin the fourth quarter, it’s third-and-1. Jacoby Brissett He faked a handoff for Chubb. Cooper, however, ran away from Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton Before he was able to catch a 32-yard touchdown reception at the Pittsburgh 39 yard line. To go up two scores, Cleveland punched it into the endzone eight plays later. Cooper was the first Browns’ player in nine seasons to reach 100 yards in receiving and score a touchdown in a back-to-back game with the play-action reception.
QB breakdown Brissett gave another strong performance in his third Browns start. He threw a pair touchdowns in the first period, the first one to Cooper on an slant and the second to tight end. David Njoku At the back of the goal line. As he continued to control the Browns’ offense, Brissett completed the game 21 of 31 passing for 220 yards.
Troubling trend Both Browns’ linebackers, including the starting one, were injured and they have since been sidelined. Anthony WalkerHe was taken off the field after sustaining a left knee injury. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Also, he was left the game after sustaining a quad injury. Already, Cleveland was without a defensive end Jadeveon ClowneyHe injured his ankle last weekend. — Jake Trotter
Unknown statistic: Cooper has now received a touchdown in consecutive games. Last season, no Browns wide receiver received a touchdown in consecutive games.
Next game Falcons (1:05 p.m. ET, Oct. 2)
Pittsburgh Steelers
After two weeks of disappointing performances, the Steelers encouraged an aggressive approach to offense. They delivered for half an inch.
The Steelers lost to the Browns (1-2) due to a second-half that was disappointing. This was because the Steelers’ offense couldn’t sustain drives and their defense couldn’t generate any pass rush or run defense.
Troubling trend The Steelers couldn’t get a pass rush going for the second week straight. T.J. Watt‘s absence. Larry Ogunjobi And Alex Highsmith They combined for a sack in the first quarter, but it was the only one that lasted until the end of the fourth quarter. The pass rush was slowing down. Jacoby Brissett Only three of his 23 dropbacks were pressured in the first half. The Steelers’ secondary suffered a series miscommunications and breakdowns on the back end that resulted in big plays and touchdowns. Terrell Edmunds On the Browns’ initial score, an 11-yard pass by Brissett, I was in the wrong place Amari CooperCooper is too wide open. Cooper was a glutton for punishment in the secondary, collecting 101 yards from seven catches. Browns’ freedom to run the ball was made possible by their inefficient pass rush. Nick Chubb (23 carries, 113 yards) and Kareem Hunt Steelers defense was broken up by twelve carries (47 yards).
Biggest gap in the gameplan: The Steelers failed to target the middle of field despite all their offensive adjustments — at least not in the first half. Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth He wasn’t targeted until the fourth quarter. The pass went high. Mitch Trubisky It was thrown into triple coverage. He caught his first catch with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was a remarkable grab for a 26 yard gain. He added another 15 yard catch on the next play, which he made over the middle. It was too late to make a difference on the game, as he was trailing by two scores.
QB breakdown Trubisky did exactly what he stated he had to do in the days before the Browns meeting: he was aggressiver and targeted. George Pickens At least in the second half. Trubisky played the ball more frequently in the first period, connecting with Pickens to complete a 36-yard pass — thanks to the impressive one-handed catch by the wide receiver — which was the Steelers’ longest passing play of the season. Trubisky showed his agility as he managed to escape from pressure. He completed 7 of 8 passes outside the pocket for 108 yard in the first quarter — the most by any Steelers quarterback outside the pocket since 2015. In the second half, Trubisky’s offense returned to a weaker brand of football. Trubisky was able to complete 9 of 13 passes, 109 yards, in the first quarter. Then, he completed 6 passes for 41 yards on the last drive of the fourth quarter. — Brooke Pryor
Unknown statistic: Three Steelers have already made a single catch this season (George Pickens, Diontae Johnson & Chase Claypool). There have been no other teams that have had multiple one-handed receptions.
Next game vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, Oct. 2)