by Bo Marchionte
Twitter @BoMarchionte
A barrage of insanity rained down on the Pittsburgh Steelers in an embarrassing loss, 48-37.
Up and over and so was the game.
A botched snap on the first play of the game, sailed over the extended grasp of Ben Roethlisberger and was recovered by Cleveland in the end zone. The Browns would begin one of the most epic first quarters in the history of the National Football League. Setting a new NFL record for points scored in the first quarter (28), it helped them earn their first playoff game since beating the New England Patriots 20-13, in 1995.
An avalanche of points scored by Cleveland left the press box astonished as the Browns kept piling up the points on Pittsburgh. It was reminiscent of a vintage Mike Tyson fight. It was over before it barely began. Anyone at home had enough time to grab some snacks and settle in before realizing the score was 28-0 with 1:56 left in the first quarter.
“One of the weirdest halves I’ve ever been part of,” Roethlisberger said after the game. He would attempt 68 passes, throwing for 501 yards with four touchdowns and four costly interceptions. “The glaring issue is we turned the ball over. We turned the ball over a ton and that can’t happen.”
A nightmare scenario that was reality for Pittsburgh, with four first half turnovers and their stifling defense being picked apart by Baker Mayfield and company. Cleveland was able to capitalize on those turnovers that hampered any chance Pittsburgh had to stay with in striking distance.
Tonight, was an anomaly, the magnitude of the first quarter changed the game in ways that simply becomes insurmountable to overcome. Cleveland played clean the entire way, protecting Mayfield, and dialing up big plays to keep that kept Pittsburgh from truly being in the game.
“It does change the climate of the game,” Tomlin said if reference to the monster deficient. “The nature in which the way they play and the nature in which we have to play.”
Despite the wild game that unfolded at Heinz Field tonight, Pittsburgh began unraveling down the stretch.
A perfect 11-0 start led to a 1-5 finished (including the playoffs).
“We’re a team that died on the vine,” Tomlin said after the demoralizing result.
The change of momentum began when the Baltimore Ravens were hit with a Covid-19 outbreak that postponed a Thanksgiving game three times before being played on a Wednesday afternoon so NBC could still air the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, during primetime.
That Wednesday unbeknownst to anyone, Pittsburgh’s season began its rapid descent from grace.
Baltimore barely had enough players to field a roster, yet they remained in position to win the game.
Mike Tomlin was infuriated after that particular game, letting it be known that the effort was unacceptable if this team wanted any chance of a postseason run towards a Lombardi Trophy.
“To be bluntly honest,” an agitated Tomlin said after the 19-14 win. “I’m disappointed in our performance tonight. We did enough to win, but that’s it.”
That was the beginning of the end for Pittsburgh.
Playing three games in two weeks rocked this team to its core and regardless if that played a part in their eventual outcome, the change after Thanksgiving was glaringly abundant as they slid in the standing’s week after week.
“Sure, in the terms of winning,” Tomlin said in reply to the noticing a change. “Winning football games no question.”
Looking for some confirmation that his team fell off its axis in a little more detail was the preferred response, then again Tomlin probably would have had a hard to saying that jaded schedule was cause for the lack of wins.
The only game they were able to win was against the Colts and had to come from behind to beat Indianapolis after trailing 24-7, before Roethlisberger get red hot and the defense shit Philip Rivers down.
This loss coincides with plenty of faces possibly in new places in 2021.
James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Bud Dupree are big names that hit free agency barring any tags be placed on them by Pittsburgh.
Roethlisberger never made it back on the field after the final whistle sounded, instead he sat at the end of the bench before being join by Maurkice Pouncey after the field basically emptied of players. The two sat idle possibly reflecting on the season or careers they have spent together and if any more opportunities exists in the future.
“Those discussions and decisions regarding personnel,” Tomlin said will be done in the coming days and weeks.
The question about Roethlisberger’s future will swirl as well since he ended the game in such odd fashion by sitting alone as other players shook hands and exited the field and not meeting Mayfield for the typical after the game quarterback pow wow.
“It’s going to start between me and God, a lot of praying,” Roethlisberger said regarding his own affairs to be dealt with as the off-season begins.
Hard to imagine if that was the last game, we see from Big Ben…