LOSING MY MIND OVER THE FAILURE TO WIN BY STEVE KING

Some thoughts, in no particular order, about the Browns’ 21-21 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season opener on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium:

*A tie is not a win. It’s not a loss, to be sure, but more importantly, it’s not a win, either – not even close. And the Browns should have won. That some fans are giddy that the Browns tied the “mighty” Steelers is pathetic. It’s a loser’s mentality. It just is. I apologize if you are one of those fans.

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*And speaking of fans, those who root for the Steelers also can’t be happy. Their team is going to have to play a heckuva lot better, especially offensively and even more specifically at quarterback, if it has any hopes at all of unseating the New England Patriots in the AFC.

*Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor was awful – as a passer. He did a great job scrambling and running for big gainers when he couldn’t find receivers open, but the passing game was pathetic. He was brought in to make plays and not turn the ball over. He did only one of those with any degree of success. It was – by far – the biggest disappointment of the game – other than the tie, of course.

*No, no. no, no, no – a thousand times no – the Browns should not bench Tylor in favor of rookie Baker Mayfield. This was just one game. Taylor simply has to get better. And I’m certain that he will.

*Why didn’t Taylor target wide Josh Gordon more? Why? Why? Why? He’s the Browns’ most explosive weapon.

*I was also disappointed – greatly so – by the debut of offensive coordinator Todd Haley. All those horizontal passes – and a reluctance to throw deep downfield much – was a real stomach-turner. Come on, what was that about?

*More disappointment? How about the Cleveland offensive line? This group was so good that second-round draft pick Austin Corbett was de-activated for the game. Really? Taylor got sacked seven times, and the running game was bad, too. What’s the deal with the line?

*The Browns were outstanding defensively. As I’ve written several times already, this defense is going to be something special this year, so much so that it will have to carry the team overall until the offense gets its act together.

*And why we’re talking about the defense, how about rookie cornerback Denzel Ward? He was nothing short of outstanding. Has a Browns rookie ever played that well in his debut? I can’t remember one — and certainly not a corner.

*Every time the Browns miss a field goal, I think of Joe Banner, the knucklehead former team president who refused to even negotiate with iconic kicker Phil Dawson and let him walk after the 2012 season. Banner was the most incompetent exec in Browns history.

*Give credit to the Browns for refusing to quit after being down 21-7. But that will be soon forgotten since it didn’t translate to a victory, which, as Herman Edwards has so eloquently said a number of times, is why you play the game.

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