It wasn’t pretty, but the Pittsburgh Steelers enter the second half, due to get the ball, up 16-14 against the Cleveland Browns. You can trace the Steelers lead back to just two or three plays with the rest of the game looking pretty ugly – specifically on offense.
START OF 2ND HALF.
Calvin Austin III in for the kick return, but it went into the endzone for a touchback.
1st and 10, Kenny Pickett rolled out. He was nearly picked off on a throwaway attempt. Pickett needs to protect the ball better. 2nd and 10, a deep attempt to Calvin Austin III but it fell incomplete. A possible miscommunication between the two? On 3rd and 10, Pickett complete to Pickens for 25 yards. Explosive play!
Zadarius Smith injured on the play. Didn’t look bad, but sometimes those end up being the worst.
Jaylen Warren up the middle for 5 yards on 1st down. Thats one of the few succesful runs today. On 2nd and 5, Warren back up the middle on the delayed handoff for 6 yards. Darnell Washington with the key block there in his first career start.
On 1st and 10, Warren tried to get the right edge, but was tackled at the line of scrimmage for no gain. On 2nd and 10, Pickens caught the pass. He tried to hurdle a defender, but gained 8 with an unsuccesful hurdle. 3rd and 2, so the offense is back on schedule. Denzel Ward blanketed George Pickens to force the incompletion. Boswell out for a 50 yard attempt. He made a longer one already in this game. Trouble with the snap, but it was good. 19-14 Steelers.
Boswell’s kickoff resulted in a touchback. Deshaun Watson conneted with David Njoku on 1st down for 5 yards. 2nd and 5, Jerome Ford bent the run all the way back for a 69 yard touchdown run. He was nearly tackled for a loss. He was tackled a half yard short of the end zone.
1st and goal, Strong went to the left tackle for no gain. Elandon Roberts filled the hole. Minkah Fitzpatrick was shook up on the play after chasing down and saving the touchdown. Looked like he got his bell rung. Hopefully no concussion.
2nd and goal, Strong punched it in for the touchdown. The Browns go for two and Watson took it himself for the 2pc. 22-19 Browns.
Shelby Harris in on the 1st down pass deflection and pressure. On 2nd and 10, Pickett complete to George Pickens for 22 yards. This is Pickens’ coming out party.
Kenny Pickett was sacked on 1st down. 2nd and 21, Miles Boykin caught the 2nd down pass for a gain of 5. 3rd and long coming after the injury timeout.
Injury bug is getting ugly in this game.
3rd and 16, a gain of 10 on the checkdown to Jaylen Warren. Checkdowns on 3rd and long are painful.
Elandon Roberts, who made that massive goal line stop earlier, is now down injured in between plays. He is clearly concussed, they have got to get him out of the game and evaluate him. That is hard to watch.
The punt resulted in a touchback, they nearly downed it on the one, but just missed.
The first down play was an Elijah Moore run for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, Watson scrambled for 12 yards. No Minkah Fitzpatrick is significant. One of the thinnest position groups on the roster.
Amari Cooper caught the ball across the middle for 7 yards. 3rd and 3, Watson complete to David Bell for 5 yards to convert. A touchdown here could seal the game for the Browns. Maybe a renegade is in order soon.
Deshaun Watson attempted the kill shot to the end zone. It should have been picked off by Levi Wallace, but it slipped through his hands. 2nd and 10, Kwon Alexander flagged for unecessary roughness hitting Watson late out of bounds. It was hardly a hit, but 15 yards tacked on. On second look, Watson had a hold of Kwon’s facemask maybe it will be called on Watson.
It was indeed. 15 yard penalty enforced from the dead ball spot. 3rd and 25, a completion for 14 yards. The punt resulted in a touchback.
Najee Harris registered an explosive play of his own on 1st down running for 21 yards around the edge with a nice stiff arm.
On 1st and 10, Najee ran for another 17 after bending the run all the way back to flip the field.
On 1st and 10, Warren for 3 yards. On 2nd, Calvin Austin on the end around for a loss of 2. On 3rd and 9, incomplete intended for Jaylen Warren. It was tipped and nearly intercepted. The screen may have worked otherwise.
Too many men on the field for the Browns. Cleveland burned a timeout prior to the penalty.
Pressley Harvin had the perfect punt to pin the Browns at the 1 yard line. It bounced out right before the pylon.
On 1st and 10, Jerome Ford for a gain of two up the middle. 2nd and 8 from the 3 yard line. Complete to Akins for three yards. 3rd and 5, Elandon Roberts checked back into the game.
END OF 3RD QUARTER: 22-19 BROWNS.
3rd and 6, Watson dropped back and completed the pass to Amari Cooper along the sideline. The play is under review. Tomlin challenging the call on the field. Wasted challenge and a burned timeout that could be crucial.
1st and 10 from the 23 with a quarter left to play. Jerome Ford stopped for no gain by Larry Ogunjobi. Waston complete to Cooper for 23 yards on 2nd down. They are suddenly at midfield and well within range to put this game away.
1st and 10, Ford up the middle for 4 yards. On 2nd, another run for 7 yards. The Browns are trying to kill the clock and succeeding without Chubb.
Jerome Ford got the ball back to back on 1st and 2nd and gained 8. On 3rd, a holding makes it 3rd and 12. Holcomb was the player that was held. 3rd and 12, outside of field goal range, Deshaun Watson nearly sacked by Nick Herbig but he facemasked to escape the sack. 3rd and 26, Njoku caught the ball and appeared to have fumbled. They rule it a fumble recovered by the defense. Cole Holcomb punched it out as Keanu Neal wrapped up the runner.
Kenny Pickett had to throw the ball away. Myles Garrett with the pressure and he came up gimpy after the play. Some kind of lower body tweak. I doubt its enough to sideline him. He is back in for 2nd down. 2nd and 10, Najee Harris brought down for no gain. 3rd and 10, Pickett was sacked for a loss of 11. He was completely unblocked on the overloaded front. The Steelers are outside of field goal range too. Jaylen Warren at fault there not picking up the blitz.
Pressley Harvin III’s punts have been the difference maker. The Browns will take over from their own 6 after a 61 yard boom.
Renegade time. The Steelers defense will have the full power of the crowd behind them. It almost feels like they will need to score again, or at least get the ball back already within field goal range.
On 1st and 10 from their own 6, Holcomb and Highsmith combined for the three yard TFL. 2nd and 13 from the 3, a deep incompletion intended for Amari Cooper. 3rd and 13, they convert with a 16 yard deep pass to Elijah Moore. Tough for the Steelers defense to have that happen twice.
On 1st down, Ford for 1 yard. On 2nd and 9, Alex Highsmith strip sacked Deshaun Watson and TJ Watt scooped and scored. Renegade strikes again. 26-22 Steelers.
Elandon Roberts and Elijah Riley both missed their TFL’s and Ford turned upfield for 9. 2nd and 1, Ford up the middle for 2 yards to convert.
1st and 10, incomplete to Strong. Patrick Peterson in coverage over the middle. 2nd and 10, Markus Golden in for the sack. This edge rusher rotation is paying off late in this game. The defense is tired, but Nick Herbig and Markus Golden are making plays. 3rd and 13, incomplete pass. Punt coming and Kenny Pickett and the offense will have a chance to ice this game out.
Jaylen Warren with some good tough running to make it 3rd and 1 after Najee Harris’ one yard gain. 3rd and 1, Pickett kept the ball and tried to rush for the first. Loss of 2. Cleveland calls timeout #2.
The Steelers defense needs one more big stop to eek out this victory. The defense is gassed at this point.
Deshaun Watson takes over from the 25 yard line. This is it.
1st and 10, false start on Dawand Jones. He is trying to cheat out ahead of TJ Watt. An 8 yard gain on 1st. 2nd and 7, Amari Cooper picked up 8 yards to convert.
1st and 10, complete to Elijah Moore for 14. 1st and 10, Watson scrambled for 3.
TWO MINUTE WARNING.
One timeout remaining for the browns plenty of time. Watson avoided the sack on 2nd down with Elijah Riley bringing pressure. 3rd and 7, Elijah Riley landed the sack on Watson. 4th and 10 and the Browns have to go for it. On 4th and 10, Joey Porter Jr. in coverage and it fell incomplete. The Steelers win the game barring any shenanigans. JPJ probably got away with one there.
Kenny Pickett knelt the ball twice to end the game.
Thanks for joining. A win is a win and this was a tough one.
FINAL SCORE: 26-22 STEELERS
