CLEVELAND -- There is a first time for everything, and for the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, that first came in the way of a 21-21 tie in the 2018 regular-season opener at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland Sunday.
A missed field goal by each team in the final two minutes led to the first tie between the Browns and Steelers in the 68-year, 131-game rivalry.
Although the Browns did not win, they were able to snap their consecutive losses streak at 17.
WKYC’s Jim Donovan spoke with Matt Florjancic Monday to break down the tie and here are the main points:
CONFUSION OVER TIE
The Browns were on the wrong side of the scoreboard in 17 straight games heading into the 2018 regular-season opener against the Steelers.
The Browns were neither on the good or bad sides of the scoreboard as a stout offensive effort in the final seven-plus minutes of the fourth quarter and six forced turnovers from the defense led to a 21-21 tie against their chief rival in the AFC North Division.
Like the players, Donovan did not know how to feel about the tie.
GARRETT IS REAL DEAL
The Browns were confident Myles Garrett could be a difference-making player when they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and they were not disappointed with him as a rookie last fall.
But now that Garrett is healthy, the second-year defensive end is showing just how special he can be, as he combined for six tackles, five of which were solo efforts, had two sacks for 12 lost yards, defended one pass and forced two fumbles, both of which were recovered by the Browns in their 21-21 tie with the Steelers.
TAYLOR MUST IMPROVE
Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor was touted as a leader for the offense, but he struggled mightily to move the ball down the field.
Taylor completed only 15 of his 40 attempts for 197 yards with one touchdown against one interception against the Steelers. Taylor took seven sacks for 47 lost yards and carried a 51.8 quarterback rating in his first start with the Browns, who acquired him in a trade with the Buffalo Bills back in March.
Stream Live with fuboTV -Try Free Trial