3 Browns who should be benched or fired after letting Steelers get revenge

The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers played just two weeks apart. The first matchup in Cleveland was rather unpredictable. The Browns won in a wild Thursday night game with the help of a revived Jameis Winston and a snowstorm no one could have predicted, not even a meteorologist.

By losing to the Browns a couple weeks ago, the Steelers opened up a door for the rival Baltimore Ravens to take the AFC North. Lamar Jackson and Co. did not take advantage, much to Pittsburgh's benefit. The Steelers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals just last week in a shootout, and took care of business in their revenge game against Cleveland on Sunday.

From the Browns perspective, it's tough to expect anything else from this team. Deshaun Watson got the Browns off on the wrong foot this season, and Kevin Stefanski was put in an impossible situation. Since Jameis Winston took over, the team looks much improved, so the head coach will not be on this list despite some fans calling for the contrary.

3. The Browns shouldn't give Kadarius Toney any playing time, period

Kadarius Toney did Kadarius Toney things on Sunday. At times he looked explosive on special teams, but when the Browns needed him the most he fumbled the bag quite literally. Toney is little more than a distraction at this point. Most common NFL fans know who Toney is, and they understand why he's so well-known.

The Kansas City Chiefs gave Toney every possible chance to contribute to a Super Bowl team. Yet, even Andy Reid couldn't handle him, and he was released before the start of the regular season. Reid and Brett Veach tried to smooth things over upon cutting him, but every time Toney sees the field he makes a critical mistake.

It was late in a game the Browns were pretty clearly going to lose. However, Toney cemented that defeat with a fumble on special teams. The Steelers pounced on a Toney fumble and went right into victory formation.

2. The Browns might need a new kicker soon

The Browns are evaluating all positions late in the season. Cleveland will not make the playoffs, meaning everyone is on the hot seat, not just Stefanski and the coaching staff.

Early on in what looked to be a low-scoring game, Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins missed two field goals. The Browns didn't gift him a chance to miss a third, and it's tough to blame them. He's had a rough season. Were this, say, the Chiefs or Lions, the kicker would be a bigger storyline. Hopkins is another reminder that kickers are human, much like Justin Tucker's issues in 2024.

If the Browns and Andrew Berry feel comfortable enough with another kicker on the roster, or perhaps a replacement in free agency, they shouldn't wait.

1. Greg Newsome didn't get to face George Pickens, and it showed

Greg Newsome had plenty to say about George Pickens heading into Week 14's matchup against the Steelers, especially after the latter claimed he didn't know who Newsome was. This was despite the two getting into a brawl at the end of the Browns win over Pittsburgh in Cleveland. I don't have evidence Pickens was lying, but it sure as hell appeared that way. Newsome used Pickens comments as a platform to exemplify that his counterpart was immature.

“I’m an ultimate professional, so it’s easy for me,” Newsome said via Cleveland.com. “I mean, a guy like him, it’s obviously hard. That happened our game, he got two more penalties the next game, so that’s just a trend that he does. But me, I’m a professional so I would never let somebody make me do something to hurt my football team.”

Unfortunately for the Browns and Newsome, Pickens didn't play. While that initially looked like a cop-out by the Steelers wide receiver, apparently he had a hamstring injury. One would think Newsome would step up against the likes of Mike Williams, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin, but instead his performance was as frustrating as ever.

Newsome didn't deliver despite a preferable matchup. I have no real explanation for that, but it sure seems like the Browns veteran took his competition lightly, and the NFL has little patience for such actions, which is why Jefferson caught a touchdown on a sleeping Newsome.

Even Browns fans deserve better.