The Steelers took a 27-3 lead to the half, and were virtual locks to start the season 1-0 against the Browns at home. Ben Roethlisberger was sitting pretty, leading the offense to 364 first half yards.
The team took a conservative second-half approach and almost lost, but as a result, Roethlisberger, you know, finished with just 365 passing yards.
The Browns’ defense was supposed to be the team’s strength this year. They added Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner, drafted Justin Gilbert and grabbed head coach Mike Pettine from the Bills, who’s a defensive-minded leader.
But the Steelers took advantage of them – especially in the first half – and now have the second-most yards in the NFL after Week 1 (not counting Monday night’s game, of course). With young talent like Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton, Big Ben and company should be in store for a solid year.