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Aaron Rodgers still confident in Steelers’ playoff hopes despite ugly loss
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- Aaron Rodgers still confident in Steelers’ playoff hopes despite ugly loss
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The Pittsburgh Steelers had an opportunity to win the AFC North title in Week 17 and all that was required was finding a way to beat the struggling Cleveland Browns . However, the Steelers offense could not manage to overcome the Browns' aggressive defense and Pittsburgh suffered a 13-6 upset.
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As a result of that loss and the Baltimore Ravens ' victory over the Green Bay Packers Saturday night, the AFC North crown is still up for grabs. The Steelers (9-7) and the Ravens (8-8) will meet in Week 18 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh and the winner of that game will earn the division crown. The loser will be eliminated from any playoff possibility.
The Steelers had won 3 games in a row prior to facing the Browns. The Steelers were held to 291 total yards and they were successful on just 3 of 15 3rd-down opportunities. Pittsburgh clearly missed wide receiver DK Metcalf , who was suspended by the NFL after throwing a punch at a fan in Detroit in Week 16.
Despite the defeat, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers remained confident that the Steelers would be successful in their regular season finale. "I have full confidence we'll go home and win next week," Rodgers said after the game.
Steelers could not take advantage of struggling Browns
The Browns (4-12) had lost 4 games in a row prior to the victory, and their sluggish offense had been largely responsible for their last-place performance this season.
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However, Shedeur Sanders was fairly accurate throughout the majority of the game as he completed 17 of 23 passes for 186 yards with 1 touchdown. He did throw 2 interceptions, but the Cleveland defense kept Rodgers and the Steelers from taking advantage of those opportunities.
Rodgers had been in excellent form during Pittsburgh's 3-game winning streak, but he was held to 168 passing yards and he was sacked twice.
Devin Bush did a solid job on defense and he led the Browns with 5 solo tackles and 4 assists.
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