Not on a day the Cleveland Browns quarterback and the rest of his team received an up-close look at the gap between where they are and where they’re trying to go.
asserted
they → receive → gap
The Browns arrived in Pittsburgh on Sunday hoping to send a message.
asserted
Browns → arrive → message
They did, just not the one they wanted.
asserted
they → do → ?
For all the promise they’ve shown during the opening two months of the season, they have plenty of shortcomings, too.
asserted
they → show → shortcomings
A pair of early fumbles showcased some jitters.
asserted
pair → showcase → jitters
The eight sacks Watson absorbed — which he took most of the blame for — boosted his total to an NFL-high 33.
asserted
he → absorb → 33
The swagger defensive end Jared Verse hoped to bring was replaced by compliance on a day the Steelers rushed for 200 yards.
asserted
Steelers → hop → yards
“You can’t just fall on just one loss,” Watson said.
asserted
Watson → fall → loss
This was an opportunity for us to be able to really take control of that.
asserted
us → take → that
But it didn’t go our way.”
asserted
it → go → way
For all of Cleveland’s promising results in September and October, when each of its five victories came courtesy of fourth-quarter drives orchestrated by Watson — including a 27-24 thriller over Pittsburgh on Oct. 1 — November opened with a record-tying 23rd straight regular-season defeat at Acrisure Stadium.
asserted
November → come → Stadium
If the Browns were trying to shed the weight of history, it didn’t go particularly well.
asserted
it → try → history
At times, their sloppy play made it seem they were burdened by it.
asserted
they → make → it
As opponents go, this wasn’t erratic Tampa Bay, up-and-down Carolina, woeful Tennessee, the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens or the Steelers at home on a short week.
asserted
this → go → week
This was in Pittsburgh, where the Browns haven’t won during the regular season since 2003, a year before rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion was born.
asserted
Concepcion → win → 2003
Cleveland tried to set the tone early, winning the toss and taking the ball.
asserted
Cleveland → try → ball
What happened next served as a hint of what was to come.
asserted
what → happen → hint
Watson took a hit to the head from Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker and headed to the medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion.
asserted
Watson → take → concussion
Shedeur Sanders came on for a handful of snaps that went nowhere, and the possession ended when Harold Fannin Jr. fumbled.
asserted
Jr. → come → snaps
Watson returned on the next series, only to have it end with another fumble.
asserted
it → return → fumble
It took the Steelers five plays to go 45 yards, four of them runs, to take the lead.
asserted
four → take → lead
Another three-and-out led to a Pittsburgh field goal.
asserted
out → lead → goal
“Do we have a young team?
asserted
we → have → team
Of course we have a young team,” first-year Browns coach Todd Monken said.
asserted
Monken → have → team
“Does that exonerate ourselves from two turnovers the first two drives and keeping our poise and playing at a high level?
asserted
that → exonerate → level
Verse, who called the Steelers out for what he felt was dirty play in their first meeting, didn’t back away from his words even after he was limited to just an assisted tackle and was body-slammed into the ground by Steelers guard Mason McCormick.
asserted
he → call → McCormick
“I don’t know who the hell that team was that walked out there, that presented themselves,” Verse said.
asserted
Verse → know → themselves
“We didn’t do enough across the board from the first quarter to the last quarter.”
asserted
We → do → quarter
The Browns play at New Orleans next week, then host underachieving Houston.
asserted
Browns → play → Houston
Cleveland insists the good vibes it built since the start of training camp remain intact.
asserted
it → insist → camp
“We’re going to fight like hell to get better,” Monken said.
asserted
Monken → go → hell
“That’s all you can do.”
asserted
you → ’ → ?
The Aporia
