Former Steelers Offensive Lineman Fumes After Pittsburgh's Final Plays In Cleveland

The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped a crucial road game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday by a final score of 13-6, ruining their initial chances of clinching the AFC North for the first time since 2020. Despite all that went wrong in the game, the Steelers had a chance to tie the contest with a touchdown late in the matchup. However, what took place in the final four plays of the showdown might have been the most frustrating part of a beyond frustrating loss for the black and gold.

The Steelers got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining in the game following a Cleveland field goal that made the score 13-6. It took only three snaps to get inside the Browns' 10-yard line, thanks to two big pass plays from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to tight end Pat Freiermuth. The quarterback hit the tight end for gains of 29 and 11 yards on back-to-back plays to put Pittsburgh in prime position to tie the game with a touchdown. For a brief moment, it felt like the Steelers were about to steal, despite struggling for most of the afternoon.

That feeling didn’t last long. After an complete pass to Adam Thielen, the Steelers would target Marquez Valdes-Scanting in the end zone on three consecutive pass plays, and all three would fall incomplete. It was a disappointing cherry on top to what was a terrible afternoon for the Steelers. The final sequence felt like a microcosm of the entire game.

Many Steelers fans were yelling at their televisions, wondering why the offense targeted the 31-year-old in Valdes-Scanting — who has only been on the active roster for less than a month — with a division-clinching game on the line. 

One of those frustrated fans was former offensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl champion, Trai Essex. Essex has never been one to shy away from expressing his feelings, and he took to X following the frustrating finish to Sunday's game. His reaction echoed what many fans were already thinking, that the Steelers got away from what was working at the worst possible time. 

Essex echoed what many Steelers fans were asking themselves. Why, in the biggest moment of the game, did the Steelers go away from the one player who had just marched them down the field? 

If there is one thing that has been consistent for the Steelers' offense over the last few years, it has been Freiermuth. Yet, it seems as if he never gets targeted when he's needed the most, including the final plays of Sunday's loss. After not being utilized nearly at all in the first 59 minutes of game-play, Freiermuth finished the day as the team's leading receiver, and his two receptions on the final drive gave the team an opportunity to score and potentially send the game into overtime. 

In a game full of questionable decisions, especially on the offensive side of the ball, the inability to go back to Freiermuth inside the 10 yard proved to be the biggest. 

Steelers Now Facing Must-Win Game In Week 18

The Steelers were hoping to clinch the AFC North with a win on Sunday, and essentially rest their starters during their Week 18 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. Now, that game is the AFC North Championship game with the winner taking the division title and the loser missing the playoffs altogether. 

To make matters worse, Pittsburgh will once again have to play without their number one wide receiver, DK Metcalf, who will be serving the final game of a two-game suspension handed down by the league following an altercation with a fan. If the Steelers want to win their first AFC North crown since 2020, they'll have to find a way to get the passing attack in rhythm, or else they'll see their season come to a very disappointing end. 

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