5 Takeaways from Browns' Week 6 Loss

Against non-AFC North opponents, the Cleveland Browns have looked like a strong team; against their division rivals, they haven't been quite as impressive.

On Sunday, the Browns lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 38-7 at Heinz Field to fall to 4-2 this season. Their only previous loss came in Week 1, when they were beaten on the road against the Baltimore Ravens 38-6.

Cleveland has one division win this season, but that was a 35-30 victory over the struggling Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. That started a four-game winning streak for the Browns, before their momentum was halted by the Steelers.

Here are five takeaways from Sunday's loss at Pittsburgh.

Baker Mayfield Continues to Have Struggles

Don Wright/Associated Press

Baker Mayfield entered Sunday with a questionable tag due to a chest injury. And although he played, he may not have been feeling much better by the end of the game.

The quarterback threw a pair of interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown by Minkah Fitzpatrick) and was sacked four times.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski also didn't keep Mayfield in for the whole game, replacing him with veteran Case Keenum in the third quarter, a decision he later told reporters was to keep the 25-year-old healthy. He'll be back under center in Week 7 against the Bengals.

In order for the offense to have success, Mayfield will likely have to play better. He went 10-for-18 for 119 yards, marking the third time in four weeks (and fourth time through six weeks) that he's been held under 200 passing yards. He connected with wide receiver Rashard Higgins for a 13-yard touchdown late in the first half for Cleveland's lone score of the game.

Over his first three NFL seasons, the Oklahoma product's play has been inconsistent, and that has continued into 2020.

The Running Game Is Stoppable

Don Wright/Associated Press

The Browns' running game had been one of their biggest strengths through the first five weeks of the season. Even after Nick Chubb went down with a right MCL injury, Cleveland kept the success going, rushing for 124 yards in Week 5 against Indianapolis, the top-ranked defense in the NFL at the time.

There was no such success against the Steelers, as the Browns mustered only 75 yards on 22 carries (3.4 yards per attempt), which included 40 yards on 13 carries by Kareem Hunt.

Part of the reason for that was the fact that Cleveland was down by 24 points late in the second quarter, but it also wasn't effective running the ball early.

This may have just been a case of the Steelers having a strong run defense and providing a tough matchup, as they're allowing only 66.2 yards on the ground per game, which ranks second in the NFL.

If the Browns continue to struggle in Chubb's absence, then perhaps there should be cause for concern. But it seems unlikely Hunt won't be able to get things going again soon.

Big Plays Couldn't Be Made at Key Times

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The Browns could have finished with more than 220 total yards had they been able to extend drives. Instead, they went 1-for-12 on third-down attempts and 0-for-3 on fourth-down tries. That's not a formula for offensive success at any level.

"I did not do a good job there. We did not get people open," Stefanski told reporters after the game. "I need to figure out a way to get some easy ones for the Q. We just did not have people open."

Cleveland has the playmakers to get it done, but Hunt (57 total yards) and wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (two receptions for 25 yards) and Jarvis Landry (three receptions for 40 yards) all had quiet days. It was a tough all-around showing for the Browns' offense, particularly at the times when it needed to step up.

If Cleveland can improve in those situations, it will do better when taking on tough teams such as Pittsburgh.

Where Were the Takeaways?

Don Wright/Associated Press

Although the Browns' opponents have scored at least 30 points in four of the first six games this season (and all six have scored at least 20), one area in which their defense has fared well is forcing turnovers. They lead the NFL with 12 takeaways (six interceptions and six fumble recoveries) this year.

That's even more impressive considering Cleveland had none against Pittsburgh. If the Browns had had an impact play on defense, perhaps that could have changed the momentum of the game before it was too late. Instead, the Steelers continually marched down the field, scoring four touchdowns in a span of seven drives between the second and fourth quarters.

Perhaps Cleveland's defense was fatigued from spending so much time on the field, as Pittsburgh won the time-of-possession battle, having the ball for 34 minutes, six seconds.

It didn't help that the Browns' offense had two turnovers of their own, putting the ball back in the Steelers' hands and giving them control of the game.

Browns' Heinz Field Woes Continue

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The last time the Browns won a game at Heinz Field? Oct. 5, 2003. They've now lost 17 straight games at the Steelers' home stadium, showing just how one-sided this AFC North rivalry series has been.

During that span, Pittsburgh is 29-4-1 against Cleveland overall. The Browns split the series last season, winning at home on Nov. 14, 2019, but that's their only victory over their rival in the past 11 meetings between the two teams.

If Cleveland is going to become a contender in the AFC North, it needs to find a way to play better against Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the clear top two teams in the division. Until that happens, the Browns will continue to find it difficult to get into the playoffs (or to make a deep run if they do get there).