The Pittsburgh Steelers were in the process of taking a knee at the Cleveland 1 as the final seconds ticked off the clock to finish a 30-9 victory over the Browns on Sunday at Heinz Field.
 
But they had to wait.
 
The Browns were forced to call timeout because they didn’t have enough players on the field.
 
Calling a timeout because they couldn’t manage to find 11 defensive players – or really, just 11 players of any size, shape or position, perhaps even some from offense or special teams – to just stand there and do nothing?
 
Really?
 
I know I’ve never seen that before. Ever.
 
Indeed, this Browns season has been one in which there have been a lot of things no one has seen before. And none of them are positive.
 
But what this “first” speaks to the incredible lack of discipline on this team.
 
I know I’ve never seen that on any Browns team. Ever. Not even the ones that finished with just a few wins.
 
Which is where this season is headed for a 2-8 team that has lost five in a row as it heads into its bye week.
 
That play at the goal line is a picture-postcard of one of the big things that is wrong with this team.
 
So is a series earlier in the fourth quarter when the Browns had a first-and-goal situation just inches from the goal line that, after a series of penalties coming from that same lack of discipline, quickly became a first-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 26.
 
Really?
 
All of it is coaching – or lack thereof.
 
Sure, perhaps some – or maybe even a lot – of these Browns players have checked out mentally already, but the fact of the matter is that this has been going on since … well, last season.
 
A lack of discipline.
 
Inconsistent quarterback play, especially in the red zone, in the fourth quarter and in pivotal moments of the game.
 
An offense that can’t score enough points, especially enough touchdowns.
 
A defense that gives up points in bunches.
 
Those are the things you need to do to lose, and the Browns do them.
 
All of them.
 
Consistently.
 
As such, it’s why they lose.
 
Consistently.
 
But at the same time, give the Browns credit for playing extremely hard overall, and well at times, today, especially for much of the day on defense.
 
To be sure, the defense deserved a better fate than it got.
 
But for that to happen, the offense has to score at least in double-digits.
 
That – being pointless — is the most consistent of the consistent deficiencies.
 
You’ve got to score points in the NFL. You just have to.
 
That’s particularly the case against a Pittsburgh offense that, even with Ben Roethlisberger playing with a brace on his foot, is very good, very prolific. The Steelers are going to score points, so to keep up and have a chance to win, you have to score points, too.
 
And the Browns didn’t.
 
Yes, quarterback Johnny Manziel, minus those costly turnovers, played pretty well and, in a perfect world, earned another start, but, with all the drama that goes on with the quarterback position on this team, it’s impossible to tell if he’ll get that chance.
 
He’s young, he gives the Browns a better chance to win than veteran Josh McCown, the club needs to see what he can do and … well, we’ve been through all that before. A hundred times.
 
But continue to keep this in mind: If you fix the quarterback position, then you fix the offense and that, in turn, overcomes a lot of the other issues, even some of those involving a lack of discipline.
 
There are still six games left. I wonder what other firsts we’ll see.
 
Like you, I can hardly wait to find out.