The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a winnable game to the Cleveland Browns, but they showed determination. In the end, they erased a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter despite poor road conditions. Maybe that’s why they felt so angry and frustrated after the game. This is the takeaway from Shelby Cassesse. WPXI.
“I remember there were a lot of tired guys, there were a lot of quiet players, there were a lot of people with their heads down. This locker room couldn’t be more different,” she told The Black & Gold Experience after the game. It’s a show of contrast to the Steelers’ loss to the Cowboys earlier this season.
“I was standing in the tunnel while all the Steelers were walking from the field to the locker room, and to be honest, they were mad,” she added. “There were a lot of things I couldn’t say clearly on TV. “I’ll be honest with you, I just felt a lot of anger after this loss.”
The fact that the Steelers lost to their bitter division rivals certainly didn’t cool their feelings. I got angry once or twice during the game, even right up to the final whistle. The final play found George Pickens in a fight with the Browns DB, which I’m sure will be the storyline.
But it’s also the obstacles they overcame to get to that point – they blew it. In Dallas, the Steelers took the lead until the fourth quarter, and the two teams fought back and forth. Essentially, the Cowboys had the ball last. At least this time the Steelers had a chance to throw the ball into the end zone.
“When we walked into the locker room, there were a lot of similar emotions on both sides of the ball,” Cassesse said of the Steelers’ locker room after the loss to the Browns. “This defense prides itself on making big plays in big moments. We just didn’t do that tonight. They know it. That’s what they said, and they felt like this game ultimately delivered that result.”
She noted that many players on the Steelers’ offense appear to be still processing the loss. Their focus was on moving forward, focusing on the Bengals and overcoming the struggles that got them into a 12-point hole in the first place. “The atmosphere is a bit like that right now. “There is a lot of frustration in the locker room and you can feel it in the players coming out on the field.”
Despite this, the Steelers are still 8-3 and in position to clinch the third seed in the AFC playoffs. They control the fate of the division, but of course their margin for error is significantly reduced. However, the five-game winning streak had to end at some point. I think some of the Steelers’ frustration stems from the fact that they ended up in Cleveland.
