The Browns went into Pittsburgh on Monday night looking like the better team for the first time in a while. That was not the case as the Steelers defended their home turf while Cleveland lost running back Nick Chubb in the process.
92.3 The Fan’s Daryl Ruiter of the Audacy original podcast “It’s Always Gameday In Cleveland” detailed what made Monday night’s loss one of the worst he’s ever seen in Pittsburgh.
“A devastating blow for the Cleveland Browns to lose him for the season. The mood in the locker room is ‘football life does go on’ even though everyone is thinking and praying for Chubb. But it’s hard not to feel like the loss of him hung over this team all night,” Ruiter said (3:23 in player above). “It is a tremendous loss for the Cleveland Browns. Of all the nightmarish Steelers-Browns games I have covered here in Pittsburgh, this might be the worst one.”
Not only did the Browns lose their star running back, but they had chances to win the game that Deshaun Watson threw away. The 230-million-dollar man isn’t living up to expectations through two games.
“Deshaun Watson is letting them down. There’s just no other way to put it,” Ruiter said. “You can’t pay a guy $230 million and give up six draft picks including three first-rounders for performances like this. You just can’t.
“He had the ball at midfield, less than two minutes to play. The dream scenario. You’re down four. And he could do nothing with it.”
Watson was just 22 of 40 for 235 yards through the air on Monday night. He did throw one touchdown, but he also threw a pick-six and was sacked six times. Watson also lost a crucial fumble that the Steelers returned for a touchdown.
“Watson’s got to get it together here. There’s just no other way to put it,” Ruiter continued. “Now that they’ve lost Nick Chubb it is on Deshaun Watson now to carry this team. And he is going to have to carry this team. And the way he played Monday night doesn’t cut it. It just does not cut it. It’s not acceptable.”
The road for Watson and the Browns doesn’t get much easier with the Titans coming to town on Sunday afternoon.