The Pittsburgh Steelers left Thursday night’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns with a 24-19 loss at Huntington Bank Field, but one of the team’s key players was unmoved by his opponent’s performance.
Wide receiver George Pickens chalked up the result to the accumulating snow, denying Pittsburgh’s AFC North rival any credit.
‘The conditions played a huge, huge part in today’s game,’ Pickens told reporters after the game when asked what the Steelers should take away from the game. ‘I don’t really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions kinda saved them today.”
The Steelers (8-3) outgained the Browns 368-304 and also won the takeaway battle 3-1. Cleveland also converted just one of 10 third-down attempts, though the team was successful on all four of its fourth-down tries.
Still, the Browns (3-8) held the lead in the second half until Calvin Austin III’s 23-yard connection with Russell Wilson put the Steelers ahead 19-18 with 6:15 remaining. But a shanked 15-yard punt by Corliss Waitman gave Cleveland a prime opportunity to recapture the lead, and running back Nick Chubb powered into the end zone from 2 yards out with 57 seconds left to put the Browns back on top.
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The Steelers drove 29 yards on the final drive, but Wilson’s heave to the end zone fell incomplete. Pickens, who had four catches for 48 yards on seven targets, appeared to get into a clash with Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II after the play.
In assessing the two teams after the game, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin struck a different tone from the one Pickens chose.
‘I thought (the Browns) brought it tonight. … They made more plays over the course of 60 minutes than we did,’ Tomlin said in a postgame news conference.
The Steelers and Browns will meet again on Dec. 8 in Pittsburgh.