COLUMBUS, Ohio — So much for the winning streak.
So much for the gaudy offensive production.
So much for the idea the Browns are ready to challenge the Steelers and Ravens for divisional supremacy.
It took just three offensive plays Sunday at Heinz Field to remind the Browns of their place in the thick-necked, unforgiving AFC North. That’s how long it took Baker Mayfield to throw an inexcusable interception that Minkah Fitzpatrick returned for a 33-yard touchdown — a game-altering play which had them trailing by 10 points barely six minutes into the first quarter.
A day that began with so much optimism unraveled quickly and spectacularly for Cleveland in a 38-7 loss to the Steelers. The Browns (4-2), who had won four consecutive games, were hoping to triumph in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2003. Instead, the losing skid reached 17 games as they displayed the deficiencies that have plagued them on so many other disappointing visits to Heinz Field.
Poor quarterback play. An inability to deal with momentum swings. A lack of production from the club’s best players. About the only thing different this time around is the Browns’ coach didn’t leave town on the hot seat or unemployed.
These aren’t the same old Browns — they have more individual talent than at any point since their 1999 return to the NFL — but their lack of big-game experience was glaring.
The Steelers are a veteran bunch who have played in countless first-place showdowns. Leaders like Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Heyward demonstrated the sangfroid fans have come to expect in such an environment.
Pressure-packed divisional games are new to these Browns. They haven't been so well positioned this late into October since starting 6-3 in 2014. The matchup had been on the national radar from the time the schedule was released due to Myles Garrett's return to Pittsburgh, and it only grew in importance as the Browns strung together high-scoring wins.
But whatever swagger they carried into the game was quickly lost. The first Mayfield interception rattled their confidence, and by the end of the half Odell Beckham Jr. was seen on the sideline in an animated discussion with teammates as the Steelers’ lead ballooned to 24-0.
The marquee receiver caught just two passes for 25 yards. His good friend and fellow wideout Jarvis Landry grabbed just three balls for 40 yards. They were among a cadre of Cleveland playmakers who made no plays.
“We are all very frustrated,” said Mayfield, who threw two interceptions and finished the day 10-of-18 for 119 yards before mercifully being replaced late in the third quarter by Case Keenum. “We want to win. We do not come out here just to get stats and do all that. We come out here to win. It is a frustrating loss for us knowing that we just did not play well and let a great team capitalize on all those mistakes that we made.”
New coach Kevin Stefanski has done a nice job revamping an offense that entered play averaging 31.2 points and an NFL-best 188.4 yards per game on the ground. But when stepping up against perennial division powers, the Browns have been overwhelmed.
The Ravens whipped them 38-6 on opening day. Maybe that wasn't surprising given the lack of preseason reps and familiarity with new systems. Those issues were not relevant Sunday.
The Browns were bullied throughout the afternoon by the Steelers (5-0) and could not execute their game plan. They went 1-of-12 on third-down conversions and managed just 48 yards rushing on 17 attempts through three quarters.
“That’s what they do,” Stefanski said. “I don’t think they changed who they are. We need to point the fingers at ourselves, starting with me. There’s a bunch of things we can do schematically to make sure we don’t put ourselves in that spot.”
There are plenty of potential wins on the Browns’ schedule, and a playoff spot — the league has added an extra wildcard — is not out of the question. But on days like Sunday, when the rushing attack sputters and they can’t play with the lead, the Browns need Mayfield to deliver. It’s why they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.
The general manager and coach who drafted Mayfield are gone. The new decision makers want to walk away from this season with a clear understanding of whether the third-year pro is the quarterback to lead them to better days.
Sunday looked like too many games from last season when the Browns and Mayfield crumbled under the weight of preseason expectations to finish 6-10. The quarterback has adapted to his role of game manager, and he deserves credit for playing despite a painful rib injury he suffered last week against the Colts.
But faced with relentless Steelers’ pressure, Mayfield appeared tentative and confused. He also absorbed a pounding. On 23 dropbacks, he was sacked four times, knocked down five times and hurried on 12 occasions, according to NFL on CBS statistics. Mayfield could be seen grimacing after several big hits.
Unfortunately for him and his team, Sunday’s effort was in line with other uneven performances against good teams. In the Browns' four wins, the quarterback posted a 96.7 passer rating. Against the Ravens and Steelers, it was a combined 59.7.
Asked to assess his play, Mayfield said simply, “not good enough.”
“We just got outplayed today,” said the quarterback, who did throw a second-quarter touchdown. “That is what happens when you do not execute. Great teams, like I said after the Ravens game, great teams capitalize on your mistakes, and they did. That is why the difference is that drastic.”
Both first-half picks were the result of Mayfield mistakes.
On the opening drive, he forced a short pass into tight coverage to Harrison Bryant on a third-and-3 from the Browns’ 28. The quarterback never saw Fitzpatrick, who stepped in front of Bryant for the pick six. In the second quarter, Mayfield badly under threw a pass intended for Rashard Higgins that was intercepted by Cameron Sutton. That turnover also led to a Pittsburgh touchdown.
Against Washington and Cincinnati, you can survive a few early gaffes. Versus a strong opponent, self-inflicted wounds can turn a three-point deficit into a 17-point hole in a matter of minutes. Once momentum swung, the Browns were unable to wrest it back.
Stefanski said Mayfield will start next week in Cincinnati if he’s healthy enough to play. However, the coach is growing weary of the unforced errors. Mayfield has thrown six interceptions in as many games.
“We’re not built to turn it over,” Stefanski said of his run-heavy offense. “He knows that.”
It’s important to note the Browns were without star running back Nick Chubb and right guard Wyatt Teller, but injuries and absences are obstacles good teams must overcome, especially in a season being played through a global pandemic.
The Browns need their best players to lift them in adverse times, and they were all virtual no-shows in their biggest regular-season game in six years. That includes Garrett, who did register a sack, but had little impact in slowing the Steelers. He found no joy and few holes in the Pittsburgh offensive line despite lining up on both sides of the formation.
“They did not do anything uncharacteristic of them,” said Garrett, who has seven sacks on the season. “They were scheming to try and get me off my game. They were getting after all of us. They were chipping, and the guard was staying in and staying close. They were making it difficult for us on defense.”
Garrett was playing in his first game against the Steelers since clubbing Mason Rudolph over the head with the quarterback’s helmet last November, a moment of madness that earned him an indefinite league suspension.
How ironic — or maybe the word is fitting — Rudolph would earn snaps in mop-up duty Sunday. This time, the game ended without incident. All the drama drained out of it by halftime.
These teams meet again Jan. 3, and there’s a decent chance the Browns will be playing for something more than a high draft pick.
Sunday needs to serve as a humbling lesson in what it takes to compete in big games. The Steelers offered them a master-class in how that’s done. Your quarterback can’t throw away an opportunity at victory before the two-minute warning of the second quarter. Your high-priced offensive line can’t get blown off the ball. Your punter can’t be your best player in terms of dictating field position.
The Browns are better than they have been in years. But they came nowhere close to convincing the Steelers or the rest of the league of that on Sunday.