The Pittsburgh Steelers had every reason to feel confident heading into Week 11 of their 2023 campaign. They were going up against a Cleveland Browns team that had recently lost their overrated, expensive quarterback, Deshaun Watson, for the rest of the 2023 season, and Pittsburgh boasted a 6-3 record that seemed at least a little bit shaky. With momentum on the Steelers' side, on paper, it seemed as though the Steelers would go into Cleveland and handle the Browns without much issue. After Cleveland came away with a defensive victory to move to 7-3 at second in the AFC North, Ben Roethlisberger saw the game as much more than just a feel-good win for the Browns.
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Pittsburgh Steelers retired quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was a brilliant 26-2-1 against the Cleveland Browns during the regular season in his career
Steelers' Roethlisberger Labels Steelers' Loss
Roethlisberger took to his Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger podcast on Sunday to live-stream Pittsburgh's 2023 Week 11 game, making it the fourth consecutive game that he went live on his platform. After an ugly defensive matchup that ended in a Cleveland victory, Roethlisberger saw Pittsburgh's loss as one that would hold great significance to the Browns.
As the final play fizzled out without even the excitement of a few lateral attempts, Roethlisberger gave a sigh as he watched the loss become a sure thing for his former team. Considering that Roethlisberger was a dominant 26-2-1 against the Browns (regular season) during his surefire Hall of Fame career when he gives an opinion on that specific rivalry, it is something to pay attention to. When the game ended, Roethlisberger gave his unfiltered view of what it meant for Cleveland as a franchise.
"I mean, this is the Browns' Super Bowl, to be honest...that's the Super Bowl for them."
It is always a more significant victory when it comes at the expense of a division opponent, but for Roethlisberger to label the Steelers' Week 11 loss to the Browns as the equivalent of Cleveland winning the Super Bowl means that he sees this as a potential launching point for the Browns. Going up against the 2023 Steelers, who had made winning dramatic and late into a consistent event, the Browns used a rookie quarterback to leapfrog Pittsburgh in the AFC North and make a statement to the NFL.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had another wonderful performance in Week 11 of 2023 but it was wasted in an ugly loss
Steelers Give Up Massive Opportunity With Loss To Browns
Everything was set up for the Steelers to charge through Weeks 11 and 12 of their 2023 season and put themselves in an excellent position for a late, upper-seed playoff run. Pittsburgh was 6-3 despite being out-gained in every game leading up to their Week 11 clash with the Browns, and Cleveland was starting a rookie quarterback thanks to a season-ending injury to Watson. The stage seemed ready for the Steelers to take a firm grip on the AFC North. Unfortunately, that is not what happened.
Riding their number one defense to a 13-10 victory over the Steelers, Cleveland stayed within a game of the division-leading Baltimore Ravens, while Pittsburgh dropped to 6-4 and saw their two-game winning streak stop in its tracks. It wasn't just the fact that the Browns and Steelers have a long-standing rivalry that made this win akin to a Super Bowl; according to Roethlisberger, it was how much the Browns had to put aside to emerge with a victory.
Despite their winning record, the Steelers may be a struggling team, and it is still a daunting task to go up against their defense with a rookie under center, but Dorian Thompson-Robinson performed as well as you could ask for.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin seems to be seeing a different reality than the rest of us, considering his excuses for the 2023 Steelers so far
After taking this blow, the Steelers may be looking at their upcoming 2023 Week 12 meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals in a slightly different light. The Bengals are dealing with a similar quarterback situation, with Joe Burrow being lost for the remainder of the 2023 season with a hand injury. Prior to their Week 11 loss, the Steelers felt confident about their chances against consecutive divisional opponents that were forced to start backups, but now that confidence is wavering.
The Steelers are still 6-4 with plenty of football left on the 2023 schedule to turn things around, but there is certainly a sour taste after the Week 11 loss to the Browns. It never feels good when you have to go through a week knowing you dropped a divisional game, but it has to hit harder knowing the opportunity you threw away. The NFL doesn't present many chances to pull away from the pack, so the Steelers need to hope that theirs comes back around at some point in 2023.
What must the Steelers do to have a real shot at the 2023 AFC North title?
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