Defense steps up in stunning victory
PITTSBURGH — Somuch for theweight of history. Or practicing. Or having your head coach on the sideline. Or your emotional leader on the field.
The Cleveland Browns overcame all of it. The burden of carrying the mantle of a franchise that’s long been a punchline. A schedule ravaged by a COVID-19 outbreak. A rival that for years has treated them like a harmless little brother.
The Browns dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers 4837 in the wild-card round Sunday night, picking up the franchise’s first postseason victory in more than a quarter-century and earning a trip to Kansas City next Sunday to face the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
“We believe in the people in the room no matter what’s going on,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “We knew that everybody was counting us out. There was no extra pressure or anything. No one believed in us besides us.”
Playing with first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski, Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and top cornerback DenzelWard back in Cleveland after all tested positive for COVID-19, Cleveland (12-5) raced to the biggest first half by a road team in NFL playoff history then held on.
Mayfield threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns, including a screen pass that Nick Chubb turned into a 40-yard score that halted Pittsburgh’s momentum after the Steelers had pulled within 12 points. Kareem Hunt added 48 yards and two touchdowns on the groundwhile Cleveland’s defense forced five turnovers to hand the Steelers (12-5) a staggering loss.
The victory was the Browns’ first postseason triumph of any kind since beating New England on New Year’s Day 1995 and their first playoff win on the
road since Dec. 28, 1969. The significancewasn’t lost on special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, a Cleveland nativewho found himself filling in when Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19.
“We have a resilient team,” Mayfield said. “Defense played great in the first half and we kind of stalled out and let them climb back in the game, but that’s a great teamwin right there — guys stepping up all over the board. I’m proud of these guys.”
The Steelers (12-5) certainly helped, ending a season in which they started 11-0 with a thud that could reverberate for years. Ben Roethlisberger ended his comeback season by throwing for 501 yards on an NFL-record 47 completions with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
And the NFL’s thirdranked defense could do little to stem the tide. The Steelers led the NFL in sacks but failed to get to Mayfield once.
Cleveland’s 48 points were the most Pittsburgh has ever given up in the playoffs, surpassing the 45 it surrendered up to Jacksonville in the 2017 playoffs.
Pittsburgh’s problems started on the first play from scrimmagewhen center Maurkice Pouncey’s snap sailed by Roethlisberger all the way to the end zone. Cleveland’s Karl Joseph fell on it for a touchdown. The miscues were just starting. Roethlisberger threw three first-half in
terceptions, two of which led directly to Browns scores.
By the time the Steelers found their footing, they were down 28-0. Even when they did get it going on a 1-yard touchdown run by James Conner with 1:44 to go in the half, the Browns stormed right back. Mayfield capped the opening half with a masterful 64yard drive that ended with a 7-yard toss to Austin Hooper that put Cleveland up 35-7 at the break.
Pittsburgh tried to claw back in it. The Steelers pulled within 35-23 at the end of the third quarter. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Pittsburgh 46 on the first play of the fourth, Tomlin opted to punt.
“I wanted to pin them down andmaybe provide a short field for their offense,” Tomlin said. “I just wanted to keep the momentum going in terms of field positioning.”
It didn’t work out. The kick bounced into the end zone for a touchback and Mayfield calmly took Cleveland 80 yards in six plays. The sideline erupted as Chubb streaked into the end zone.
So much for the Browns being the Browns, a winking assessment Steelers wide receiver JuJu SmithSchuster made about Cleveland in the middle of the week. Regardless of the intent — Smith-Schuster said after the game he didn’t regret it — Mayfield and All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett took it to heart.
Then, in front of amostly empty stadium and a national audience so accustomed to seeing them stumble, the Browns took out their frustration by landing one haymaker after another before running off the field yelling “Same old Browns.”
Not so much anymore.