The Pittsburgh Steelers played down to their opponent on Thursday night as they took a loss at the hands of the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh was down for what felt like the entire game, but they came back in the fourth quarterback to take a 19-18 lead. Cleveland fought back and took the lead by scoring a touchdown with under a minute remaining. Another slow start for Pittsburgh’s offense certainly plagued the Steelers in this loss, as they seemed to underestimate their opponent which has been a common theme with Head Coach Mike Tomlin.

Benjamin B. Braun / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin looks down at the snowy field as his team takes on the Cleveland Browns during a Thursday Night Football matchup.

This was a game that the Steelers easily should have won. It is an AFC North battle, and those games are always tight and physical, but Tomlin’s team needed to find a way to win this game. Cleveland had just two wins going into the contest, and it was just an embarrassing loss for Pittsburgh. Browns defensive back Greg Newsome II spoke to the media after the game and talked about how he felt Cleveland wasn’t given any respect going into the contest.

“You know, I don’t think they respected us,” Newsome said. “I don’t think a lot of teams respected us. So, for us to come out here on Thursday Night Football and get a win was huge for us.”

This was a big win for the Browns. Their season is pretty much lost, but they get to embrace the role of being a spoiler throughout the rest of the regular season. Newsome was the defensive back that George Pickens was fighting with throughout the game, and the two had to be separated after the ball fell to the ground on the final play of the game.

Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers’ George Pickens (14).

The game didn’t end well for Pickens, as he was seen complaining about multiple no calls from the referees and also fought with Newsome. Pickens was ridiculed by Newsome and other Browns defensive backs as they were overheard trashing him in the locker room while celebrating the win. Pittsburgh’s players weren’t the only ones underestimating their opponent on Thursday, as Tomlin was called out by Ray Fittipaldo on 93.7 The Fan.

“I think hands down it, it was the coaching,” Fittipaldo said. “And l’m sure we’re gonna get into some of the personnel decisions and some of those fourth down calls, but I thought overall, Mike Tomlin showed the Browns a lack of respect early in that game. I think Mike Tomlin probably should have approached that game in a much different manner.”

Tomlin’s lack of respect for the Browns was showcased early on in the contest, as he attempted a 58-yard field goal on the first drive of the game. The conditions in Cleveland were horrible, and Chris Boswell missed the kick, despite being arguably the best kicker in the league during the 2024 season. Tomlin also even went for it on fourth down on his own side of the field, which is not something coaches typically opt to do unless it is a game-winning drive at the end of the game.

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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the grounds at Acrisure Stadium as his team warms up prior to a 2022 regular season contest against the New York Jets in Pittsburgh, PA.

Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Has A History Of Playing Down To His Opponents

Tomlin not showing respect or preparing in the same way for lesser opponents has always been a problem. In 2024, Pittsburgh is 3-3 when playing teams with a current record that is below .500, but they are 5-0 when playing teams above .500. Pittsburgh struggles against worse teams, and that is an indictment on the coaching staff. In 2023, Pittsburgh lost to multiple two-win teams as they dropped games to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. This has certainly been a concerning trend throughout Tomlin’s career.

Do you blame Tomlin for the loss to Cleveland? Let us know in the comments below!