Browns lose suprising record they held vs. the Steelers

The Cleveland Browns did not have much going for them in the 2016 season.

That was the first year of head coach Hue Jackson’s tenure in Cleveland, and the season began with Jackson feeling “the earth move” during a tryout with washed-up quarterback Robert Griffin III, who the Browns subsequently signed. A self-proclaimed quarterback whisperer, Jackson also famously told everyone to “trust him” when it came to rookie quarterback Cody Kessler.

The season started with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, where Griffin was injured, which led to Josh McCown, Kessler, Charlie Whitehurst, and Kevin Hogan all taking snaps at some point during the campaign.

That opening-day loss was followed by 13 more, before a Christmas Eve miracle saw the Browns defeat the San Diego Chargers thanks in part to defensive end Jamie Meder blocking a potential game-tying field goal. The victory kept the Browns from joining the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only 0-16 teams in league history — a feat that Jackson and the Browns would accomplish the following season — and set up the latest in a string of depressing season-finales in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.

A strange thing happened that afternoon in Acrisure Stadium, however. No, the Browns did not win as they could not hold a lead in overtime and headed home with their 15th loss of the season.

It was a shocking display of dominance in the run game against the Pittsburgh defense that turned into the story of the day. Led by Isaiah Crowell’s 152 rushing yards, the Browns rolled up 231 rushing yards, the most rushing yards the Steelers had allowed at home since O.J. Simpson and the Buffalo Bills put up 310 yards in 1975.

Pittsburgh was still playing in Three Rivers Stadium when they faced the Bills, so Cleveland’s total was the highest allowed in their current stadium. The Jacksonville Jaguars matched Cleveland’s total the following year, and the two franchises enjoyed their spot atop the list of dominant performances against the Steelers.

That was until this past Sunday, however, as the Bills decided it was time to reclaim their spot at the top. Buffalo worked over Pittsburgh to the tune of 249 rushing yards, including 144 from running back James Cook III, to set a new high mark at the stadium by an opponent.

Buffalo was able to put up those numbers despite missing both of their starting tackles by simply utilizing run-heavy formations and bullying the Steelers with the same basic concepts, according to The Athletic.

There are not too many happy memories from Jackson’s time with the Browns, as fans who thought it could not get any worse after his first season found out just how untrue that was the following year.

But for one surprising afternoon in Pittsburgh, the Browns at least did something right in an otherwise dismal season, even if another team has now replaced them at the top of that particular leaderboard.