The Pittsburgh Steelers ran for 200 yards in Sunday’s 27-6 win over the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. The fourth straight victory sends them into their bye at 6-2 and alone atop the AFC North.

However, the series that drew scrutiny afterward was one in which Pittsburgh put the ball in the air: a first-half trip to the Cleveland 2-yard line that ended with two incompletions, a run for no gain, and a field goal.

Head coach Mike McCarthy voiced regret about the sequence after the game, and the reaction to his candor was divided.

Mike McCarthy Wants 3 Goal-Line Plays Back From the Browns Win

Pittsburgh’s 13-play, 68-yard drive reached first-and-goal at the Cleveland 2-yard line, when Aaron Rodgers threw two incompletions before Jaylen Warren was stopped for no gain, forcing the Steelers to settle for a field goal.

McCarthy made no secret of the game plan, saying, “We wanted to run the ball.” Of the goal line series, he said: “That series there, I wish I could have those three plays back … I wish I had that sequence back.”

Pittsburgh radio host Andrew Fillipponi reacted to McCarthy’s admission on X, writing: “Accountability: Mike McCarthy admits he screwed up red zone play-calling. Not enough runs. He needs to do better. But I love the fact he owns it. Tomlin wouldn’t do that. I accept your apology Big Mike.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers, who threw both incompletions, said the “offense should have had a lot more points … There were a couple of other opportunities. We didn’t execute down there on the goal line.”

One fan sided with Fillipponi: “McCarthy has grown on me. Fresh breath when someone takes ownership of things and isn’t afraid to share that with the fans.”

Another compared McCarthy’s response to that of former Steelers head coach Tomlin, writing: “Hell of a lot better than ‘the biscuits were buttered before the oven finished baking. And we ate what was on the plate, not the menu’ sort of [expletive].”

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Why the doubt? In Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh got the ball at the Tampa Bay 3 with 1:38 left in a 16-16 game.

Two of the three snaps resulted in passes — including an RPO on third-and-goal that Rodgers threw toward Metcalf, and Boswell’s 20-yard kick put Pittsburgh up 19-16. Tampa Bay’s Chase McLaughlin answered with a 53-yard kick with eight seconds left, and Pittsburgh needed overtime to win 26-19.

PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh kept a running count during Sunday’s game: “After that 3-play sequence, the Steelers had now thrown on 10 of their 12 plays inside the 5-yard line this year.” All three Pittsburgh touchdowns did come on runs, though, including 1-yard scores by Pat Freiermuth just before halftime and by Warren in the third quarter.

Another fan answered Fillipponi with a question: “But will he stop doing it? This is a pattern, not a one off.”

Another fan wrote: “This is the 2nd time he’s messed up by not running the ball in the red zone this year. How about stop apologizing and just correct it. Luckily for him we won both games he’s messed up in.”

“Great. But it’s still unfathomable. You have a top 3 o-line, 2 very good RBs, and its 1st and goal from the 2… And you throw a fade to a guy that cant catch on 1st down? Doesnt take an offensive wizard to know you run the ball,” another commented.

One Steelers fan questioned Fillipponi’s dig at Tomlin: “He (McCarthy) did the same [expletive] 2 games ago at the goal line!! Why is Tomlin catching strays for McCarthy’s poor playcalling??”

The bye gives McCarthy two weeks before his offense plays again, which is ranked 17th in PFN’s Offense Impact Score with a 73.2 grade. The first chance to see whether Pittsburgh’s approach inside the 5 has changed comes Nov. 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals.