PITTSBURGH — The first drive saw the Browns offense and Jerry Jeudy going backwards, and things didn’t get much better from there.
In Cleveland’s 23-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, it was clear from the jump that the potential for an ugly afternoon was strong.
On first-and-10 from their own 45, Jeudy was whistled for an unnecessary roughness penalty on a 2-yard run by Quinshon Judkins, getting into it with Joey Porter Jr. and hitting the Steelers’ cornerback’s face.
The play sent the Browns offense back 15 yards and effectively derailed the drive.
“I can’t be having no personal penalties, that’s going to hurt my team,” Jeudy said after the game. “Set my team back 15 yards, I can’t be doing that. I got to be better on that. And I will be better on that.”
In a game in which the Browns failed to score a touchdown, every mistake was magnified.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski also singled out that penalty when talking about early miscues and playing clean football.
“The first, Jerry’s a leader for us,” Stefanski said. “I think he was a retaliation type thing and we preach that. We teach that. We can’t do that. And those are real yards that are hard to overcome, so we have to be better. Again, it gets to the point of need to make sure you’re playing clean, then give yourself a chance. It’s hard when you make life harder on yourself.”
To add insult to injury, one of Jeudy’s drops in this game came two snaps later down the left sideline when Cleveland faced third-and-19.
Jeudy had another drop late in the first half, when he short armed a ball on first-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 34.
Drops have been an issue for Jeudy all season, and he was leading the NFL with seven entering Sunday’s slate of games, according to Pro Football Focus tracking data.
In addition to the drops, Jeudy got an offensive pass interference penalty that was, thankfully for Cleveland, offset by a roughing the passer penalty whistled on Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen.
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Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, October 12, 2025
Jeudy wasn’t the only Browns pass catcher to drop passes on Sunday though — tight ends Harold Fannin Jr. and David Njoku both had drops as well, including two on back-to-back plays that set the Browns up for Andre Szmyt’s 53-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Browns had at least five drops as an offense.
“I think it’s just a bunch of guys just want to make plays before they catch the ball,” Jeudy said. “You know, we haven’t been scoring enough points, so I feel like guys just are itching to catch the ball and make a play. But you just gotta catch the ball first and make the play after that, you know. So I just think it’s a bunch of guys just ready to make a play for this team to help put up points.”
Jeudy ended the afternoon with 43 yards, catching five of 13 targets.
So far this year as the Browns passing game has struggled as a whole, Jeudy continues to be a long ways away from his 2024 Pro Bowl and 1,000-yard season form.
This was the ninth straight game in which Jeudy failed to eclipse the 100-yard mark, a streak that dates back to last year’s Week 15 loss to Kansas City in which he had 109 yards and caught 11 of 14 targets.
But Jeudy is determined to work through his own struggles and help the Browns’ offense by any means necessary.
“It’s obviously frustrating losing,” Jeudy said. “I gotta be in a positive mindset. Negativity ain’t gonna bring nothing good in this situation, so I’m gonna just try to stay the best, most-positive I can be and, continue to work towards my goals, continue to be the best version of myself for this team, and what I’m gonna keep doing.”
For Jeudy and the Browns, the first step toward fixing things might just be catching what’s already in their hands.
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