Brownies and Frownies from Browns big AFC North victory over Steelers on TNF

Browns take down AFC North leading Steelers on Thursday Night Football

There was a sports radio show this week in which the host stated that the upcoming contest against the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers was like a big brother always picking on their little brother. The content indicated that the Steelers was the older brother who did nothing but abuse their younger sibling the Cleveland Browns.

Which is basically the truth. Except for a playoff win a few seasons ago, Pittsburgh had taken the Browns to the woodshed repeatedly. Since the Browns entered the NFL again in 1999, the Browns have won only 11 games and tied once. Considering these two teams play each other twice a year, 36 games is a ton of losses.

This year, these two clubs are going in opposite directions. The Steelers are 8-2-0 while Cleveland is 2-8-0. Despite being a Browns home game, Pittsburgh is very good this year and just beat the Baltimore Ravens, one of the league’s best defensive rosters.

Here is a weird stat: Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin is 0-7 on the road on Thursday Night Football games and 2-8-0 overall. However, he is almost unbeatable on Monday Nights.

On Thursday Night Football with a limited Prime Network audience and a game-time temperature of 32 degrees with hints of snow, the Steelers came roaring back to go up by one only to have the Browns win 24-19.

So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?

BROWNIES

S Grant Delpit - The play of the game was on the fourth-and-two early in the game. The Steelers offense was moving, but sputtered and a short pass made it fourth-and-two. Instead of a long field goal attempt, Pittsburgh pulled their starting QB Russell Wilson and put in their running signal caller Justin Fields. Delpit split two blockers and nailed Fields for a two-yard loss as he attempted to turn upfield.

Early in the second quarter, Delpit saved a touchdown as WR Calvin Austin hauled in a 48-yard bomb down to Cleveland’s 25. Two plays later Delpit punched out the ball from RB Najee Harris which should have been a Browns recovery but was regained by the Pittsburgh offense. The 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty midway through the fourth quarter was just plain stupid. If he wanted a mouthpiece, we here at Dawgs By Nature could have run down and handed him one. Led all tacklers with 10.

QB Jameis Winston -

• With 3:01 before halftime, Winston had to step out of the pocket to his right after almost being sacked. With his head still downfield, he found Elijah Moore for a nine-yard gain instead of a huge loss to the 22-yard line on the first play after the fumble recovery.
• With 1:36 left before halftime on a second-and-13, he was pressured but remained in the pocket and then sent a bullet to Moore.
• What a great pass to TE Blake Whiteheart in their third quarter to put Cleveland into Pittsburgh’s...