PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – Scribbles in my notebook while Cleveland Browns set an NFL playoff record with 28 points in the first quarter for a 35-10 lead over Pittsburgh. The Steelers made four … count them … FOUR deals in the first half. The Browns were exceptional in every aspect of the game.
1. On the first play of the match, Pittsburgh centerman Maurkice Pouncey snapped QB Ben Roethlisberger’s head. It was so high and so far that the ball ended up in the final zone of Pittsburgh, where it was recovered by Cleveland safety Karl Joseph for a tank destroyer. Pouncey gave some other snapshots that went off target.
2. Seeing that snap, you would think that this was the first Pouncey playoff game. But he is a veteran, a selection nine times from the Pro Bowl. On the next inauguration, Roethlisberger panicked under pressure and launched an interception for MJ Stewart.
3. The Browns then added another quick TD when Baker Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry with a 40-yard pass. It took 5 minutes, 14 seconds and a couple of twists to give the Browns a 14-0 lead. It was an absolutely stunning start to the game. The third tank destroyer came in an 11-yard power run by Kareem Hunt.
4. The Browns are not finished. Roethlisberger launched his second interception from the first quarter, Cleveland security guard Sheldrick Redwine making an excellent welcome. Then Hunt scored another TD. They had a 28-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
5. Nick Chubb ran 17 and 28 yards in his first two tricks in the game. At the start of the game, Pittsburgh appeared to be the team that hasn’t coached all week. They also made silly penalties and the Browns were super sharp.
6. The Browns transformed three Pittsburgh turnovers into three TDs. The other notable part of the first half is how the Browns’ attack defeated Steeler’s defense. The holes were huge. The Steelers looked confused. Pittsburgh faced badly. The Steelers seemed much more focused against Pittsburgh last week, when the game meant nothing to the Steelers.
7. Meanwhile, the Browns were playing without pressure and full of confidence. The Browns’ quick start in this game is notable because they only had one practice all week due to COVID restrictions.
8. Consider Browns interim coach Mike Priefer, who has been a football coach for 26 years. He is trained in four different colleges. The Browns are their sixth team other than the NFL. His title with the Browns is coordinator of special teams. But in those 26 years of training, he was the head coach for just one game. That was with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016.
9. I doubt that there has ever been a playoff game like this, in which a team is not only without its main coach, but also with an important assistant coach. Not only was the Browns coach Kevin Stefanski not in this game because of COVID-19, the Browns were with Bill Callahan. He is the coach of the team’s offensive line, and also very close to Stefanski. During the games, Callahan is next to Stefanski. Callahan’s office is next to Stefanski’s, at the team’s headquarters in Berea. Callahan was one of four technical assistants who were not at Browns in this game.
10. I knew that Priefer and Stefanski were together on the Minnesota coaching staff in 2016. That was when the Vikings coach Mike Zimmer had emergency eye surgery, taking Priefer 24 hours to prepare to be the coach against the Dallas. Why didn’t work go to Stefanski? In 2016, Stefanski was the trainer of running backs. I forgot that Stefanski did not become a QB coach until 2017. He never called up plays until the final three games of 2018. He was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2019.
11. All of this to show how quickly Stefanski, 38 years old, moved up in his coaching career. I’m not sure if he will win, he should be the NFL coach of the year for taking the Browns to an 11-5 record. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was calling the shots tonight. Van Pelt has not called up moves since 2009, when he was Buffalo’s coordinator. But he has extensive experience as a QB coach.
12. Since Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio (COVID) was out, the Browns ended up starting Michael Dunn as a left guard. This was not the plan at the beginning of the season. The Browns had veteran Chris Hubbard and newcomer Nick Harris as attackers. Both are having knee problems.
13. I had to look for Dunn. He played in Maryland, where he was honored by All-Big Ten. He was not chosen in the 2017 NFL draft. He has coached on teams from Rams, Jacksonville, Miami and Browns. This is the first time he’s on the pitch for a real NFL game.
14. Starting as a cornerback for Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson (both with COVID) is Robert Jackson. Prior to last week’s game against Pittsburgh, Jackson’s experience in the regular NFL season in defense consisted of a total of six snaps. He played 67 snaps in the 24-22 victory over the Steelers.
15. I mentioned all of these obstacles that the Browns faced to underline how remarkable the performance of the first half was. Cleveland was supposed to be the team that wasn’t ready to play. Instead, it was Pittsburgh, a team with no extra challenges.
16. Chubb ran 53 yards on eight loads, Hunt had 44 yards on four loads. Mayfield was sharp, 10 of 15 passes for 111 yards. He had two TD passes.
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