The temptation will be to play the hits when we explain what happened to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. We’ll talk about Mike Tomlin’s coaching decisions or lament the defensive injuries. Maybe we’ll gripe about the lack of an assertive running game or roll the film on a wild shotgun snap just seconds into Pittsburgh’s 48-37 loss to the Cleveland Browns, leading to an instant seven-point deficit the Steelers couldn’t afford.
If we’re being honest, this loss was a Ben Roethlisberger story. It’s a tale about three first-half interceptions that dug a monumental hole, and an offense that continues to be geared toward an unrealistic quarterback workload, rather than a power running mentality that crushed the souls of opponents in the best of times.