The idiom “a knee jerk reaction” means that you respond to something in an equally unthinking way. That’s something as sports fans that we typically do, and if it’s in an unthinking way then I definitely qualify. Knee jerks apply especially if you are a full blood Yinzer, or even just a part Yinzer, who am I fooling it’s more like if you are a Steeler fan in general. As is the custom, I compile my knee-jerk thoughts and publish them immediately after each Steelers game (my son Kyle might have a few things to say as well). It’s my version of running my mouth first and apologizing later (if at all). So with that being said, it’s time to react to the Steelers Week 2 Monday Night matchup against the Browns. Let’s get this going, HERE……WE……GO!!!

1st Quarter

• Big Bro is in the house at Acrisure Stadium, so it’s little bro just like Week 2 of the preseason.
• Steelers win the toss and defer. That means they’re already winning according to Jeff Hartman.
• No way. No! Freaking! Way! That’s how you start a football game!
• That should have been a Minkah Fitzpatrick interception but instead it goes to Highsmith. Minkah probably gets tackled right away but instead it’s seven points for the defense.
• I said before the game: the Browns should run the ball on every play until they absolutely have to pass. They throw a pass on the very first play and that’s exactly why I said what I said.
• After a 3-yard run, the crazies in Acrisure (Including Big Bro) have the Browns wasting a time out.
• What a difference eight days makes! I did not have a feeling like this after kickoff a week ago.
• Defense needs a stop here. That would go a long way for the offense already have a 7-point lead.
• Minkah seems to have a different demeanor this week. Even after a guy catches the ball he’s ready to slam them to the ground.
• There’s a holding call. They could’ve called that the play before as well.
• Joey Porter makes the key play for the defense to force the field goal attempt.
• The 43-yarder is good and the Steelers lead 7–3.
• As good as that felt to start the game, the defense only really had one stop on that second possession which came from Porter.
• Now it’s on the offense. Are they going to hit the ground running or take half the game to get started?
• That was so stupid! All he has to do is put a foot out of bounds to catch it and it’s at the 40! Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!
• And the Steelers give it right back on the pick on the third offensive play.
• The first sack of the season by the Steelers not named Watt goes to Ogunjobi.
• The defense steps up and the Browns miss from 43 this time.
• And the first hand off by the Steelers runs completely horizontal and loses 3 yards.
• Now they leave Kenny Pickett having to convert a 3rd & 13.
• Now make it 3rd & 18.
• Nice play to Jaylen Warren but 16 yards doesn’t do it when you have 18 to go.
• Maybe calling out the punter did the trick. That’s 55 yards to the 5-yard line.
• They stack Chubb up at the line and he still gets 7 yards.
• Peterson interferes with the pass and they still catch it. The drive continues.
• This is what you’re going to see from the Browns if you continue to let them hang around. Chubb goes for 20.
• There it is again. Stack him up for only a 1-yard gain and he still gets 9.
• No surprise they’re going for it on fourth down here.
• Weird play on fourth down to end the quarter, but the Browns convert.
• After the first quarter, the Steelers lead 7–3 but the offense still doesn’t have a first down.
• Hold the phone! The challenge flag is out!
• I was wondering where the ball was gonna be spotted but Ogunjobi comes up with it! And now the Steelers have the ball back with 0:22 left in the first quarter.
• Another Chuks false start.
• What did I just see? How in the world do they call that an interception?
• That wasn’t even a catch. But they’re gotta give it back to Cleveland.
• Now the first quarter is finally over. Steeler 7, Browns 3.

2nd Quarter

• Oh wow! Hearing the reaction to showing Chubbs injury is scary. And Minkah is down as well.
• That’s a terrible play. It’s bigger than football. But you’ve got to be ready on the next play and not give up the TD.
• And that additional point is on Peterson for jumping offsides on the PAT. Steelers now down 7–11.
• Why is the offensive line standing around so much when Harris is still fighting for yards?
• And there’s a first down! Nice catch and run by Jaylen Warren. He was wide open with no one around him.
• Once again, offensive linemen are standing at the line of scrimmage and turning around watching defenders hit the running back in the backfield.
• There’s another wide-open receiver but the pass is behind CA3.
• I hate to say it, but KP8 just does not look good yet again.
• Steelers get to Watson again. Ogunjobi and Adams get the pressure and Leal gets the sack. Had a bad face mask but they didn’t call it.
• T.J. Watt almost gets the safety but almost doesn’t count. The pass is off target and the Browns will punt from the end zone.
• Is it sad that I have more confidence in getting yards in the punt return game than by the offense?
• Why can I not see a full screen? If I wanted to watch the other football game I would turn on the other football game!
• There’s another pass behind the receiver. Last week you could chalk it up to a bad game, but doing it two weeks in a row is a pattern.
• Boswell comes through and hits the 52-yard field goal. I was about to say tie game, but thanks to Pat Pete the Steelers still trail by one.
• That was almost an impressive completion but instead the Steelers force the 3 & out.
• Austin has to fair catch it. Bummer.
• What is sad is when this Steelers drive starts the first thing on my mind is if Harvin can punt it far enough to keep the Browns out of good field position. And the Steelers haven’t even run a play at on offense.
• Not only did the Browns know the play, they even knew the snap count.
• That was actually probably better that Najee dropped that pass because he was probably getting dropped for a loss.
• The Steelers have three decent plays on offense so far tonight. All three were dump off passes to Jaylen Warren where he got yardage. That’s been the offense.
• PICKETT TO PICKENS! Somehow Pickens gets wide-open and Pickett hits him in stride and he takes it 71-yards to the house.
• Did Kenny get hurt on that TD?
• I guess not because he’s back out there for the two-point try after Cleveland jumps offside on the extra point.
• That play had no chance. The Browns had all 11 players in the box at the snap. The offensive line has been getting pushed back all night. And you think you’re going to just be able to bully it in? Dumb.
• Steelers lead 16-11. The two point difference will be interesting to see how that plays out the rest of the way.
• I love seeing the splash play by the offense, but I’d feel much better if they had something sustainable. But I’m not turning down a touchdown.
• The defense looks much more invigorated. But their job is a lot easier with no Nick Chubb.
• Can’t tackle a guy when he signals for a fair catch. Give the Steelers another 15 yards.
• Too many people losing their footing on that screen to Freiermuth. Could’ve been a much bigger play than 2 yards.
• Good throw and good catch by CA3. Move those chains.
• Garrett had crazy bend on that pass rush. Steelers were lucky it wasn’t a sack.
• Pickens was there for the catch if the ball is put in a catchable position.
• That punt was nowhere close to staying out of the end zone, and the penalty gives them another 5 yards to start.
• You got to hold T.J. Watt to stop him. Move them back 10.
• You’re gonna give up to 30 yards on that play? Can someone bring down Njoku?
• The Steelers get the stop on third down but a face mask gives them 15 yards and almost in field goal range.
• The Browns fall forward when they run the ball. The Steelers do not.
• T.J. Watt doesn’t rush the QB and instead hangs back to bat down the pass. Wow.
• T.J. Watt saves three points and is now the Steelers all-time franchise leader in sacks by himself.
• Wow. No sooner did I say that here then Joe Buck said it on TV.
• I thought Watt took them out of field goal range but they attempt from 55 yards and connect. Steelers up 16–14.
• Why did the Steelers wait 30 seconds to call a time out? Now they don’t have any time to try to do something.
• The Steelers taking a knee with 0:22 left shows exactly why they didn’t call that time out. They were living in their fears. They’re scared to let this offense try to do something before the end of the half.
• Steelers take the 16–14 lead into the locker room.

3rd Quarter

• Pickett almost throws a pick where he was trying to throw it away. Then he throws a pass nowhere close to the receiver. And then on third down he has time to throw and hits Pickens on a nice play. Oh consistency…
• That run by Jaylen Warren looked completely different from everything in the first half. Was it the design, the blocking, or the runner? You’d be the judge.
• When Warren gets the ball flying into the hole good things happen. Trying to run him wide not as much.
• That leap by George Pickens after the catch was pretty funny. But it did give him an extra couple yards.
• Even with a questionable snap Harvin gets the ball down and Boswell knocks it through from 50. Steelers up 19–14.
• They have the run bottled up and let them bust it to the other side all the way down to the goal line. You have to finish.
• Dang. Elandon Roberts blew that up. But is it only prolonging the inevitable?
• It only prolonged the inevitable. Browns get the TD and the conversion. 22–19 Stains.
• Pickett has a nice completion for a first down then gets thrown for a sack. It’s the ups and downs of the Steelers offense.
• Not a good sign when a player comes on the field and they have to stop it for injury. Roberts probably is concussed from that earlier stop.
• Great. Now Minkah is ruled out.
• I guess we know why Levi Wallace is a corner and not a wide receiver. Should’ve caught that deep ball.
• It’s not very often they actually call that on the quarterback. But that was the right call with what Watson did after that play. That kills the Browns drive.
• Harris rips off a nice run.
• Harris gets bottled up deep in the backfield but breaks it to the other side much like the Browns did and gets a first down.
• Is it a trick to play if it doesn’t trick anybody?
• I haven’t seen a coffin corner punt like that in a long time.
• Browns will have a 3rd & 6 on their own 5-yard line when the fourth quarter starts. Steelers trail 22–19.

4th Quarter

• And to start the 4th, the Steelers give up the catch on the sideline. The Steelers challenge but they’re not winning this one.
• According to Big Bro, that challenge is on the scoreboard operator at Acrisure. They didn’t show the full replay that he had the 1st foot down and that’s why the crowd and the coaches thought it should be challenged.
• So that’s why Herbig can’t finish that sack. Watson dragged him to the ground by the facemask.
• Why do I have the feeling on this 3rd & 26 the Steelers will give up enough yardage for a field goal?
• Call on the field is a fumble! I’m glad they called that correctly because the Steelers are out of challenges.
• (Boy, I’m glad my feeling was wrong)
• Being in 3rd & 10 is going to allow sacks like that to happen.
• Another nice Harvin punt.
• A 3rd & 13 deep in their own territory and the Steelers give it up that easy? Come on. It’s like they’re trying to give the Browns the game.
• Holy freaking crap! Highsmith with the strip sack and Watt with the TD! If you can’t win a game with two defensive touchdowns then heads should roll.
• That is not Watt’s first defensive touchdown, Mr. Buck. It’s his first in the regular season. He had one against KC in the 2021 postseason.
• For those keeping track, the only time Renegade has been played this regular season resulted in a defensive touchdown.
• I am so tired of Browns running backs being bottled in for a big loss only to let them escape for a good gain.
• After giving up the first down, the defense digs in and get the sack and a stop with a punt coming.
• There’s 4:37 left in this game and the offense has the ball. I’d love to see them run out the clock, but that seems like a tall task the way they’ve been running the ball.
• Steelers try to get cute on third down and it fools nobody once again.
• The Steelers defense has been on the field way too much. They just have to defend the end zone as a field goal does no good.
• After scoring two touchdowns, is the defense seriously going to have to win this game?
• That’s at least the third time I’ve seen the Browns run a dump off pass to their right side for a decent gain.
• This soft zone is disgusting. They’re just letting it be too easy.
• Riley misses the sack on second down but finishes it off on third down! One last stop!
• Tried to go at JPJ but he said no! That’s a Steelers win!
• There’s one knee.
• And there’s one more! Steelers win 26–22.
• It’s huge to get the W but you can’t rely on two defensive touchdowns every game in order to win. This one was sloppy but I’d rather take a sloppy win than a well-executed loss.

Once again, I just fired off what was going through my head at the time. All reactions were in real time. Basically, it is the equivalent of watching the game with a me and Kyle (or in this case, Dave), you just don’t have to go to another room because of my screaming at the television (sometimes Kyle leaves the room). Now time to process it, some quick analyzing for the Scho Bro Show, and then put it behind me as we move toward the real deal, Week 3 and the Raiders. Make sure you get your voice heard in the comments below.