Pittsburgh has chewed up and spit out the Browns with machine-like regularity since Cleveland's star-crossed return to the NFL in 1999.
That's partly what made Sunday such an unusual sight.
While Ben Roethlisberger and his bevy of Steelers playmakers were held in check, Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer chewed through Pittsburgh's defense with a host of back-breaking throws in a 31-10 trouncing. While completing just eight passes on the day, Hoyer's connections included pickups of 51, 42, 31, 31, 24 and 17 yards.
"We gave up big plays that flipped the field and produced points," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "There were two catches for about 100 yards and 14 points. ... You can't give up big plays. It changed the flow of the game."
Once they built a lead, the Browns chewed up the clock with Ben Tate and rookie Isaiah Crowell blasting for 158 yards on the ground. Cleveland's 349 rushing yards in two games against Pittsburgh are the most vs. the Steelers in one season since the Bengals rumbled for 382 yards in a pair of tilts way back in 1989.
"I said it last week, this is the best team we've played yet," defensive end Brett Keisel told the Post-Gazette, before saying of Pittsburgh: "We're an average team right now."
Defensive lineman Cam Heyward suggested in defeat that jobs might be on the line if the inconsistency persists.
"I love these guys," Heyward said, "but if we're not getting the job done, they're going to search elsewhere. I want everybody to be here, including myself, but if we don't get the job done, this isn't going to be a good season."
We recap all the Week 6 action on a jaunty edition of the "Around The NFL Podcast." Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
