“Losing the same way is frustrating as hell,” Myles Garrett said after the Pittsburgh Steelers dismantled the Cleveland Browns 23–9 in their Week 6 division match-up on Sunday afternoon. The “same way” Garrett was referring to be the offense folding under pressure, a continuation of a troubling trend, with Kevin Stefanski’s Browns failing to score more than 17 points for the 11th straight game.

While there were plenty of reasons behind the offensive struggles, one glaring factor stands out: Not being able to contain the Steelers’ WR1, DK Metcalf. And the reason was clear on film. Instead of letting Denzel Ward shadow Metcalf, the Browns relied on Tyson Campbell, who was making his team debut after a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The numbers told the rest of the story. Campbell allowed the veteran wideout to grab three receptions on six targets for 70 yards and a touchdown. But that wasn’t the case with Ward, who didn’t give up a reception to Metcalf on a couple of targets. But in the process, Metcalf walked out of Acrisure Stadium with 4 receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown.

Long story short: Kevin Stefanski and the Browns made a couple of roster moves ahead of Week 6, including Campbell’s trade. Cleveland acquired the 25-year-old corner from Jacksonville, along with a 2026 seventh-round pick, in exchange for Greg Newsome II and a 2026 sixth-round pick. But Stefanski’s decision on the offense didn’t quite click as Metcalf and the Steelers put up a strong outing through the air.

The overall passing game of the Steelers was efficient on Sunday, tallying 235 yards through the air. The rushing attack? Same story. The Steelers put up 100 rushing yards, with Jaylen Warren leading the run game with 52 yards on 11 carries. And at the heart of it was Stefanski’s trade decision and yes, Dillon Gabriel‘s not-so-sharp performance.

Kevin Stefanski didn’t consider playing Shedeur Sanders

Kevin Stefanski and the Browns have seen two weeks of Dillon Gabriel. The third rounder has yet to win an NFL game, and his mixed outing against the Steelers in Week 6 raised a question: Could the Browns have opted to play Shedeur Sanders late in the game when Gabriel was taking a beating?

As per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, Stefanski had no plans to play Sanders on Sunday. “Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he did not consider putting backup QB Shedeur Sanders in today’s game, even though starter Dillon Gabriel was taking a beating and the Browns were out of it late,” the analyst wrote.

In an ugly loss, Gabriel completed 29-of-52 passes for 221 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. It was only his second start, but with the Browns sitting at 1-5, the question practically asks itself: How far can they really go with Gabriel under center?

Stefanski had already made a change when it came to the quarterbacking. He benched Joe Flacco for Gabriel. Then Flacco shipped off to Cincinnati, leading Shedeur to get the QB2 job. But if Gabriel’s struggles persist, expect the Colorado Buffaloes’ product to start at some point in the season.