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Steelers have no excuses this time
The home team never showed up.
This one didn't come down to a couple of big plays. This one couldn't be attributed to an unfortunate kickoff, punt or interception return, although the Browns' Daylon McCutcheon managed to take yet another Tommy Maddox pass back all the way to the Steelers' end zone. This was no near miss, as the Steelers insisted their 41-20 loss at Kansas City and the 30-13 setback absorbed against Tennessee had been.
No, Browns 33, Steelers 13, was a product of the Browns being much better than the Steelers in just about every capacity.
And now, for the first time this season, the Steelers must come to grips with the flaws in their game that were exposed to the nation, at least the portion of America that wasn't watching baseball on Sunday night.
The Browns were able to attack and harass Maddox when they needed to, mostly with their front four and without having to rely on blitzes to shred an offensive line that's growing more suspect by the week.
The Browns were able to spread the field and pass in a seemingly effortless fashion that made Tim Couch look like Steve McNair. Couch, playing only because starter Kelly Holcomb is on the mend, completed 16 of 17 attempts in a first half that saw Cleveland build a 23-10 lead. His only misfire in the opening two quarters was an end zone throw-away on second-and-goal from the Steelers' 2-yard line, a performance alarmingly similar to McNair's 15-for-16 effort for the entire game on Sept. 28.
While Couch was carving a slightly revamped Steelers secondary to pieces (Deshea Townsend replaced Mike Logan in the five-defensive backs "nickel') in the first two quarters, the Steelers were getting the ball to wide receivers Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress a combined three times (as many times as Maddox managed to connect with Amos Zereoue in the flat).
In their efforts to get off the deck and rediscover their explosiveness on offense, the Steelers must address this issue first and foremost.
As for the special teams, a play without a penalty, particularly on a big return, would be a welcomed change.
The defense, meanwhile, must attempt to re-establish itself by coming up with ways to force more than the occasional incomplete pass.
With a trip to Denver looming, the Steelers' resurrection doesn't figure to take place any time soon, which means things are quite likely to get worse before they get better.
The bye week that follows the Denver game will provide the chance for a much-needed return to the drawing board, but before they can solve their many problems the Steelers must first acknowledge them.
That should be easy to do after being taken apart by the Browns in such a fashion.
There should be no confusing what happened and why this time.
