JuJu Smith-Schuster left Heinz Field on Sunday night with egg on his face.
Smith-Schuster took aim at the Browns leading up to the Cleveland-Pittsburgh wild card matchup. The Steelers wide receiver claimed his team’s AFC North rival is “still the same Browns that I’ve played every year” despite Cleveland earning a spot in the playoffs. The 24-year-old didn’t sound too worried about the first-round contest as, in his words, “the Browns are the Browns.”
Well, Smith-Schuster now will have to watch from home as Cleveland continues its playoff run.
The Browns are onto the divisional round after scoring a 48-37 win over the Steelers. Cleveland jumped out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead and was able to fend off a comeback attempt by Ben Roethlisberger and Co.
Smith-Schuster’s comments likely were on the Browns’ minds throughout the week, and Cleveland players clearly hadn’t moved on from the remarks even after the game was over. Baker Mayfield was spotted saying, “The Browns is the Browns,” as he made his way into the locker room following his three-touchdown performance.
You can watch Mayfield’s troll job in the video here.
Mayfield wasn’t the only Browns player to mock Smith-Schuster after Cleveland’s first playoff win since 1994. Jarvis Landry did the dance Smith-Schuster often does on the field before games, while Myles Garrett joked his team is “the same old Cleveland Browns.”
The Browns deserve to enjoy this win, but they can’t allow themselves to ride too high. Up next for Cleveland is a trip to Kansas City for a date with the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Sunday.
