The Cleveland Browns earned a 21-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but defensive end Myles Garrett’s actions put a damper on their victory.
Initially, Friday’s headlines would’ve highlighted the Cleveland Browns’ playoff hopes—consecutive wins for the first time this season. Instead, we have to ask, can this team get out of their own way, even in victory?
Defensive end Myles Garrett answered that question with an emphatic “no” at the end of Thursday’s 21-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He pulled off quarterback Mason Rudolph‘s helmet and struck him with it, which sparked an on-field melee with 14 seconds left in the game.
Rudolph isn’t completely innocent in the incident. At the beginning of the skirmish, you can see him yanking at Garrett’s helmet, but that doesn’t excuse the Browns defensive end for his lack of self-control. In an alternative scenario, the Steelers quarterback, who already suffered a concussion a month ago, could’ve been seriously hurt.
During a postgame presser, head coach Freddie Kitchens provided a quote that seemed hollow following the sequence of events.
Freddie Kitchens on Myles Garrett
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) November 15, 2019
"I never condone fighting on a football field because that's penalties. I don't coach penalties. I don't coach, after the whistle, grabbing somebody's face mask... I never in my life condoned a fight. That's a penalty." #Browns
Kitchens doesn’t coach penalties, but his team leads the league in infractions and penalty yards per game.
The problem isn’t that Kitchens “coaches penalties,” but he hasn’t tightened up an undisciplined team. Cleveland committed eight infractions for 121 yards on Thursday. When the Steelers marched down the field midway through the third quarter for a touchdown to pull within one possession on the scoreboard (14-7), the Browns drew four penalties on that drive alone.
Those infractions included safety Damarious Randall‘s hit on a defenseless receiver (Diontae Johnson), which led to an ejection, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi‘s illegal use of hands, cornerback Juston Burris‘ illegal contact and Greedy Williams‘ defensive pass interference. That possession kept the Steelers in the game.
Of course, Kitchens nor his staff coach poor play, but the Browns have a recurring theme this season. They’re talented, but inefficient and all over the map. Garrett’s helmet-swinging outburst underscores that notion.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield spoke out against Garrett’s actions in a postgame interview with Erin Andrews of FOX Sports, but at one point, he had his own issues with composure during a media presser to a much lesser extent. In Week 9, wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry had to switch their cleats at halftime to comply with NFL rules.
In culmination, this year’s major and minor incidents and distractions sum up a good portion of Cleveland’s season. The Browns have so much noise and diversions surrounding the team that we often overlook the top-notch playmakers on the squad.
On paper, the Browns have a collection of quality talent, especially on offense, with Beckham, Landry, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Yet, Cleveland came into Thursday’s game ranked 26th in scoring and 19th in yards.
The Browns offense didn’t light up the Steelers defense, but Mayfield didn’t throw any interceptions. Chubb and Hunt established the ground attack, logging a combined 33 carries for 104 yards, which isn’t an impressive rate, but Pittsburgh had to respect the rushing threat.
Still, we’re talking about a big blemish on the Browns’ win. Garrett deserves the majority blame, but this team went into Thursday’s contest with frequent lapses in focus and it showed during the game. That falls on Kitchens’ lap.
Following Thursday’s embarrassing turn of events, Kitchens can hammer his team for its sloppiness on the field and narrow the group’s focus, or else, he could become the first man overboard if the Browns’ season spirals out of control.
Don’t bury the Browns’ playoff hopes. They’re 2-0 in the AFC North with five games against teams that are .500 or worse in the standings for the remainder of the season. In Week 4, Cleveland beat the Baltimore Ravens on their turf, 40-25, and their second matchup in Week 16 could change things in that division if John Harbaugh’s group loses a few games.
But first, the Browns have to hold it together in winnable games. If they don’t, and penalties cause this team to unravel, the front office must have discussions about replacing their first-year head coach. Yes, we know, Kitchens doesn’t coach penalties, but he watches his team commit the same self-inflicted mistakes — that’s unacceptable.