Just behind the Bengals in the AFC North and in the AFC standings are the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers started the season 1-3, but, after beating the Browns 15-10, have now won three in a row, with Chicago and Detroit up next. And they won this one without a place kicker, but with a defense that held the Browns’ top-flight running game to fewer than 100 yards rushing, and produced a late defensive stand that forced the Browns to turn the ball over on downs.
“Whew man, AFC North football,” coach Mike Tomlin said.
The Steelers aren’t pretty but they are resilient, and that has them in the wild-card mix. In fact, three of the four AFC North teams would be in the playoffs if they started right now. The odd team out? The Browns, who entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but have lost three of their last four games. The passing game is a mess, with Baker Mayfield battling a torn labrum in his left arm and Odell Beckham a complete non-factor, and the offense couldn’t stay on the field (3 of 10 on third down, 0 of 2 on fourth down).
“It is always out of sync when you go three-and-out,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “That is just how it is. We have to get to the bottom of it.”