5 things we learned: Late-season nosedive becoming a trend for Steelers

Five things we learned from Browns 48, Steelers 37:

1. Slip sliding away

Once a team known for strong finishes, the Steelers experienced a late-season collapse for the third season in a row.

In 2018, it was four losses in a five-game stretch that resulted in the Steelers missing the postseason for the first time in five years. Last season, it was three losses in a row that sent them to the couch with an 8-8 record.

This year, of course, the Steelers finished with five losses in the final six games. If not for the second-half comeback against Indianapolis, the Steelers would have lost six in a row after that 11-0 start.

The lack of a finishing kick is something the organization must address in the offseason. Teams that compete for championships are supposed to get better at the end of the year, not worse.

The Steelers have made the playoffs nine times in coach Mike Tomlin’s 14 seasons. The loss to the Browns dropped his record in the wild-card round to 2-4, and five of those playoff trips have lasted all of one game.

2. Slow pokes

It turned out the worst thing for the Steelers was to have their offense get the ball to start the game.

Consider that in the final five games of the regular season, the Steelers didn’t get a single point in the first quarter, and the slow starts contributed to four losses in that span. The only win came when the Steelers rallied from a 24-7 deficit against the Colts in the second half.

That streak extended to a sixth game in a row as the Browns jumped to a 28-0 lead by turning three turnovers into touchdowns. The Steelers, of course, trailed for the final 59 minutes, 46 seconds of the game after Maurkice Pouncey’s first snap of the game went over Ben Roethlisberger’s head and was recovered in the end zone by Browns safety Karl Joseph for a touchdown.

Contrast the start to how the Steelers did in the early going of games while racing to an 11-0 record. They scored first-quarter points in nine of those 11 games, including the first 11 of the season.

That included the Oct. 18 matchup against the Browns at Heinz Field when Chris Boswell’s field goal and Minkah Fitzpatrick’s 33-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead en route to a 38-7 victory.

3. Best comes last

In what may have been his final game with the Steelers, JuJu Smith-Schuster totaled season highs with 13 receptions and 157 yards. It was the first time this season Smith-Schuster reached double digits in catches and had a 100-yard receiving game.

The 13 catches set a franchise record and ranked tied for fourth in NFL playoff history. Smith-Schuster had 11 catches, 143 yards and a touchdown in the second half as the Steelers tried in vain to rally from a 35-10 deficit.

Too often this season Smith-Schuster was the underneath receiver who piled up catches but for very little yardage. Consider that despite having 97 receptions in the regular season, he averaged a career-low 8.6 yards per reception. His previous low in a season was 12.8 yards in 2018.

4. Sacked out

Since the middle of the 2016 season, the Steelers have recorded at least one sack in every regular-season game, a streak that set the NFL record earlier this year and stands at 73 consecutive games heading into 2021.

When it comes to the playoffs, though, the Steelers have been held without a sack the past two times they’ve taken the field. They didn’t have one in the divisional playoff loss to Jacksonville in January 2018, and they didn’t get one against the Browns, either.

Not only didn’t the Steelers drop Baker Mayfield a single time, they didn’t register a quarterback hit. The last time that happened to a Steelers defense was in the 2014 season.

5. Nicked up

The Steelers were prepared for Nick Chubb to try to bull his way through the defense with his straightforward running style. Chubb, however, showed off his versatility by catching four passes for 69 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown on a screen pass in the fourth quarter.

Chubb had only 16 receptions and no receiving touchdowns in the regular season, leaving the pass-catching duties out of the backfield to Kareem Hunt.

Chubb did his damage on the ground, rushing for a game-high 76 yards on 18 carries. Hunt did his part, too, scoring two rushing touchdowns in the first half as the Browns piled up a 28-0 advantage. Hunt added 48 yards rushing on eight carries, and his only reception went for 13 yards.