Bulletin: Classifying the Steelers’ defeat in Week 17 to the Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers pushed the Cleveland Browns to the absolute limit on Sunday. Mason Rudolph and a squad of misfits almost made the comeback, but two points were missing from the conversion. Overall, today couldn’t have been better. The Steelers pushed the Browns to the side of the road, but received no injuries. My notes will reflect the talent discrepancy and how well these backups were performed.

We will evaluate the team and highlight some individual performances. You may think my grades are correct, you may also think that I am an idiot. Regardless, express your opinion in the comments below.

Lets do this…

Offense

Note: B +

The attack had FIVE scoring units, FIVE. They did it without Ben Roethlisberger or Maurkice Pouncey as well. Say what you want, but I was definitely impressed with this group. If Rudolph had not played that choice or failed to convert two points, I think that score is raised to A.

Speaking of Mason Rudolph, check out these statistics:
22/29
315 passing yards
2 touchdowns
1 interceptions
89.2 Rating

That was the best game Rudolph has ever played in the NFL. Especially when you consider that the Steelers still had about five takedowns, he threw two passes away, and the lack of violence against the passer caught his interception. Rudolph was called on Sunday and appears to have established himself as a career reserve in the NFL, which one day may have another opportunity to start elsewhere.

Speaking of monster games, Chase Claypool was dynamic. Breaking the 100-yard plateau and adding a ridiculous touchdown footprint. I would certainly expect Claypool to be a big factor in the playoffs. James Conner also looked good with the ball in his hands and went ahead as the featured runner once again.

The only negative aspect was both offensive tackles, Alejandro Villanueva seemed to be trying to kill Rudolph at times. I would expect the Steelers to find their replacement in the 2021 NFL Draft …

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Defense

Serie B

The defense played quite well for what it had. No TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward, Joe Haden or Terrell Edmunds, but the group still managed to place four bags. With Robert Spillane close to returning, you can see the potential of these units as the playoffs approach.

The defense’s inability to force a turn is probably the reason they were unable to win the game in Cleveland, but without so many game-piece makers, it’s hard to blame them. The defense was fine and made a few stops. You also can’t put all the points on your shoulders, as Rudolph’s interception gave the Browns an excellent field position.

The bright side of this unit will only improve, but reserves may increase with this performance.

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Special Teams

Grade A

This was another game where nothing really special happened. But Matthew Wright was 3/3 on field goals and 1/1 on extra points, he won another job in the NFL. In addition, Jordan Berry had a very good day playing ball.

Ray-Ray McCloud was a good kickback and Kevin Rader was a special ace on the team. Wright and Berry deserve A for their efforts alone.

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Coaching

Serie B

This was not exactly a remarkable day for big bets. The two point game was an uninspired touch. However, Randy Fitchner and Keith Butler put the Steelers in a position to win the game.

Using Josh Dobbs as a gadget defender was brilliant and gave the Steelers another dimension. One that they should continue to use in the playoffs. Again, this was the perfect result for the Steelers, they almost won and are healthy. I couldn’t ask for much more.

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In general

Note: B +

I couldn’t be more proud of this group. Steelers’ reserves gave the Browns everything they could handle and prepared for success against them next week. Was it a perfect match? No. But the Steelers should have all the confidence in the world that they can beat them again next week.

This was also a big day for Mason Rudolph, who should at least get another deal to be an NFL quarterback.

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The Steelers now turn to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Their opponent, again, will be the Cleveland Browns. With many of the prominent players returning, we should expect a more complete game and, hopefully, the start of a long and memorable sequence of playoffs.