Steelers vs. Browns: What they're saying in Cleveland after 28-14 loss

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not headed to the playoffs.

But their AFC North rival Cleveland Browns had nothing to do with ruining any postseason dreams.

Both teams head into the offseason trending in different directions after the Browns’ 28-14 loss Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.

The Steelers began the season with a 2-6 record and rallied to end up 9-8, just narrowly missing the playoffs.

The Browns’ quarterback, Deshaun Watson — with his $230 million contract — served his 11-game season and posted a 3-3 record as Cleveland’s starter. The Browns finished with a 7-10 record.

Here’s what they’re saying in Cleveland after Sunday’s game:

Things started well.

“The Browns had a 7-0 lead with a decent grip on the game, and then before you knew it, the Browns were turning the ball over and creating easy opportunities for the Steelers,” wrote Chris Pokorny of SB Nation Dawgs By Nature.

Watson’s statistics were solid, minus the interceptions. He went 19 of 29 for 230 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for an 84.0 rating. Still, he was sacked seven times while rushing for 44 yards on nine carries.

“You just gotta give the Steelers credit,” Watson told Cleveland.com. “They did what they needed to do to create some pressures, some turnovers, and they capitalized on that. So that didn’t go our way, and we just gotta watch the tape and just try to get ready for this offseason.”

The loss shows just how far Cleveland has to go before becoming a contender, wrote Ashley Bastock of Cleveland.com.

“The Browns essentially punted away another season, but having a full year of Watson won’t fix all of their problems next season,” she wrote. “Nothing we’ve seen from Cleveland this year convinces me that the Browns can survive and advance, keep things interesting or persevere through significant hardship like Pittsburgh did this season.

“No, everything we saw from the Browns was essentially the opposite of what we saw from the Steelers: Dysfunctional front-running attitudes, that included the subtext of the excuse that they didn’t have their star quarterback.”

Speculation that Cleveland’s defensive coordinator, Joe Woods, would be let go was confirmed: He was fired Monday.

“Pittsburgh continued a trend that carried over the Browns’ final 14 games in which opponents ran seemingly at will on them,” wrote Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. “The Steelers rushed for 148 yards, while also converting 9 of 15 third downs.”

Into the offseason we go.

“Although Watson and (wide receiver Amari) Cooper are almost assuredly back next season, there’s little doubt that changes are coming,” Easterling wrote. “That’s both on the roster and on the coaching staff.”