Well, the Cleveland Browns just embarrassed themselves.

After talking big all week leading up to the final regular season meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers this year, the Browns took the field at Acrisure Stadium and put up a disappointing performance.

On Sunday, Nov. 1, the Browns lost to the Steelers, 27-6, with multiple glaring issues leading to the team's downfall. From a lackluster start to the game from the offense to countless penalties and issues with self-control, the Browns suffered loss No. 3 of the season.

Fortunately, there is still plenty of season left to make corrections, but this one stung a bit.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Browns' Week 8 loss to the Steelers on the road:

Deshaun Watson Needs To Get Going Faster

Yet again, the offense looked slow out of the gates.

Across the first three drives of the game, the Deshaun Watson-led offense managed to muster a whopping 14 yards off of 11 players. The Browns would leave each with zero points, as two fumbles and a punt stole the show.

Watson was responsible with one fumble, with tight end Harold Fannin Jr. being the other.

The Browns would finish the first quarter trailing by seven points, before two field goals helped to lessen the blow in the second. By the time the opening half concluded, Cleveland was down by 14 points, 20-6.

While Watson did end up finishing the game with 27 completions for 324 yards passing, his lackluster start to the game set the tone.

Deshaun Watson may have finished with 27 completions for 324 yards... but the slow start to Sunday's game set the tone for the Browns' offense...

They have to stop turning it on so late.

Final: 27-6.#DawgPound

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) November 1, 2026

If the Browns want to start putting themselves in more favorable positions to win, getting on the board within the first drive or two is going to have to become a priority.

Penalties Have Killed the Browns

The Browns hurt themselves... a lot.

By the end of Sunday's game, penalties had taken away 80 yards from them. For a team already going up against a loud fanbase at Acrisure Stadium, putting yourself in increasingly difficult situations with self-inflicted penalties makes things much worse.

Heading into Week 8, the Browns had a whopping 63 penalties across seven games, bringing them to an average of nine per game. While pre-snap issues have been a big part, the offense has just been all-around sloppy.

Head coach Todd Monken will likely harp on the team's penalty issues behind closed doors, which is the correct thing to do, but things have got to start changing.

The Browns just can't keep beating themselves.

Emotions Were... Odd

Among the 80 yards of penalties on Sunday were a few taunting calls, something that seemed shocking considering they came with Cleveland trailing by multiple scores.

If the Browns are going to talk the talk, they better be able to walk the walk.

On Sunday, they just simply didn't.

Two takeaways:

1) how are you taunting down 21 points?

2) how are you throwing flags like that in a rivalry game?

Either way, gotta keep your emotions in check… #DawgPound

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) November 1, 2026

Before they started to lose control of their emotions later in the game, the Browns looked asleep. From start to finish, the entire game felt all over the place in the emotional department. Jared Verse, one of the Browns' leaders on the defensive side of the ball, yet again fell short after a week of talking smack to the Steelers.

It's always nice to see players hype up an outing, especially when the rivalry runs so deep, but if you are going to, you have to back it up.

Looking to put Week 8 behind them, the Browns return to the gridiron on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1:00 p.m. EST from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to take on the Saints.