So far, this game has been as advertised with the score 7-0 at halftime. The Pittsburgh Steelers do get the ball back to start the half, but so far they have not accomplished much outside of some success running the ball. The drives have not been able to sustain and Pickett is under constant pressure.
The Cleveland Browns scored on their second drive after starting with great field position and then tacked on three to end the half with a field goal.
The kickoff resulted in a touchback. The Steelers will start with the ball at their own 25.
1st and 10, Harris gained just one up the middle. 2nd and 9, a pitch toss to Jaylen Warren for 74 yards and a touchdown. The extra point looked like it was touched a bit, but still went in. 10-7 Browns.
That was much needed, and on 2nd and 9. The Steelers are right back in this thing, down just 3.
The kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, Jerome Ford stopped for no gain by TJ Watt and Mykal Walker. Dorian Thompson-Robinson incomplete in the flat to Ford. 3rd and 10, DTR scrambled for 9. Cam Heyward and Elijah Riley slow to get up after the collision. 4th and 1, Hunt gained enough to convert around the left end.
1st and 10, Hunt up the middle for 2. 2nd and 8, complete to Njoku in the middle of the field to convert. Watt hit Thompson-Robinson as he threw the pass.
1st and 10, Hunt up the middle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, the pass went incomplete, off target to Tillman. 3rd and 8, outside field goal range, Trenton Thompson nearly intercepted the pass, but dropped it. If he caught that he could have taken it to the house. The punt was fair caught at the 13.
1st and 10, Pickett to Pat Freiermuth screen pass for 7 yards. Harris rushed up the middle, but was stopped behind the line. 3rd and 4, Harris tackled in the open field after catching the ball in the flat. The punt by Pressley Harvin III was caught at the 32 and returned 4 yards to the 36. A net punt of 44 for Harvin.
The Steelers’ safety position is running low on bodies. Keanu Neal went to IR yesterday, Fitzpatrick still not healthy, and now Riley. Trenton Thompson and Damontae Kazee will be holding it down and we might see some more Patrick Peterson aligning as a safety. This probably limits some of the Steelers’ sub-package possibilities.
1st and 10, Larry Ogunjobi brought the pressure and forced an incompletion. DTR is getting the ball off in 2.15 seconds which explains the lack of pressure getting home. 2nd and 10, Peterson tackled Moore after the catch for a gain of 5. 3rd and 5, incomplete intended for Cooper with Peterson in coverage.
Calvin Austin III faked the fair catch and let the ball roll into the end zone for a touchback. The Steelers will get the ball at the 20 yard line.
1st and 10, Pickett under pressure but threw an on-target pass to Diontae Johnson, but it was punched away by Denzel Ward. 2nd and 10, complete to Warren, but offensive pass interference called on Johnson. 2nd and 20, Warren rushed for 8 up the middle. 3rd and 12, Pickett complete to Allen Robinson over the middle for a first down. A huge conversion for Pittsburgh. They initially spotted the ball good enough to convert, but moved it back to be 4th and inches. Timeout #1 called by Pittsburgh. 4th and 1, Pickett kept the ball himself and they spot him with enough to convert. Pickett hurting after the play down on one knee. His helmet got ripped off in the pile.
Pickett took a shot to the head, and so Trubisky is coming on the field for one play. Cleveland challenged the spot which might negate the need for Trubisky this play. The ruling on the field was upheld, so its a first down for Pittsburgh. No challenged remaining for the Browns.
1st and 10, Pickett back on the field, Harris lost three tackled in the backfield. 2nd and 13, Pickett threw the ball away under pressure rolling out to his right. 3rd and 13, Pickett tossed it to the feet of Warren to not get sacked. The snap was a little wide which threw off his timing and vision.
Harvin’s punt went just 42 yards and was returned to the Steelers’ 47. Trenton Thompson injured on the play. The Steelers are out of safeties.
1st and 10, Watt got the QB hit and forced and off target pass. 2nd and 10, Elandon Roberts the first in the pile to stop the run, no gain. 3rd and 10, pressure from Highsmith and the pass was tackled short of the line to gain, but roughing the passer called on Highsmith. He came in too high.
1st and 10, Heyward tackle for loss on Hunt. 2nd and 12, Roberts made the open field tackle to force another loss of three. 3rd and 15, the pass was popped up in the air and Chandon Sullivan came down with the interception. There is that first bit of splash from the defense and one that could set up a go-ahead drive for the offense.
1st and 10, the pass was knocked down incomplete. 2nd and 10, Harris off right tackle for 2 yards. 3rd and 8, Pickett and Johnson had a miscommunication and the ball fell incomplete.
Harvin’s punt was shanked badly for just 20 yards. Browns get the ball in Steelers’ territory. 1st and 10, Ford lost 3 around the left end with Watt and Thompson bringing Ford down. 2nd and 13, Ford dropped the pass out in the flat. 3rd and 13, 00:01 remaining in the quarter, Njoku dropped the pass.
END OF 3RD QUARTER: 10-7 BROWNS
A pitch toss to the right for Warren on 1st down, and a loss of 3. 2nd and 13, Pickett tried to hit Pickens back shoulder, but pressure forced the incompletion, slightly off target. 3rd and 13, a short pass to Warren who took it 14 yards to convert.
1st and 10, a pass to Johnson out wide for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, complete to Robinson for 2 yards. 3rd and 4, a huge weighty down, complete to Johnson to convert along the right sideline. Pickett was hit hard by Garrett after the pass.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 1 yard. 2nd and 9, Warren nearly brought down for a short gain, but he does not go down to arm tackles. He bounced back outside for 21 yards. Warren’s stiff arm injured Rodney McLeod on the play.
1st and 10, in field goal range, Warren up the middle for 12 yards.
1st and 10, Warren tackled behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 2. Harris checked back in the game with Darnell Washington. 2nd and 11, Pickett sacked by Myles Garrett for a loss of 10. They have to protect the ball here and set up the game-tying field goal. Harris rushed for 17 yards. 4th and 5 and the Steelers will send Chris Boswell out to tie the game up. 10-10 Even.
Boswell’s kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, Dorian Thompson-Robinson complete for a first down. James Hudson III called for illegal hands to the face. 1st and 20, TJ Watt sacked the quarterback. 2nd and 22, Sullivan closed on the pass to Njoku and forced it incomplete. 3rd and 22, complete to Moore for 14 yards, well short of the line to gain.
The punt went out of bounds at the 48. The Steelers take over just barely on their own end.
1st and 10, Pickett complete to Pickens for 12 yards.
1st and 10, incomplete to Harris. 2nd and 10, Harris blown up in the backfield to lose 5. 3rd and 15, Pickett to Warren out wide, but brought down after a short gain. Harvin needs to redeed himself on this punt. Just 3:45 remaining in the game. Fair caught at the 14.
Timeout #1 called by Pittsburgh because of 12 men on the field. Not a great time to be burning a timeout. 1st and 10, Roberts tackled the catch for a loss of 1. 2nd and 11, the Browns have gained just 34 yards this half, Hunt hurdled a defender on his way to a 16 yard run.
1st and 10, a drop by Njoku. 2nd and 10, Roberts closed on Njoku to limit the gain to 3.
TWO MINUTE WARNING
3rd and 7, Njoku dropped another pass. The Steelers will get the ball back with 1:42 and two timeouts. Austin returned the punt 21 yards.
They need something like 35-40 yards to get this in Boswell range to win.
1st and 10, incomplete to Johnson. 2nd and 10, Pickett aired it out but nobody was in the zip code. 3rd and 10, incomplete to Johnson. Three targets to Johnson and zero catches. Only 14 seconds taken off the clock that drive. They needed to at least kill clock – not good!
The punt was returned to the 35 by Cleveland. They need only 30 yards or so here to win the game. 1st and 10, compelte to Moore for 15 yards.
1st and 10, 5 yard pickup by Hunt and out of bounds. Just 00:53 remaining, 10 yards out of field goal range, 8 yards to Amari Cooper. Timeout #2 taken by Cleveland.
A sack or penalty would be extremely timely for the Steelers with the Browns now in viable field goal range. 1st and 10, complete to Njoku for 11 yards.
1st and 10, Hunt up the middle for 2 yards. Cam Heyward injured on the play, but he stood back up and looks to be fine. Timeout #3 taken by Cleveland. With just 00:20 remaining, the Browns have the ball at the 24 yard line. Delay of game called on the defense, so the Browns will have a chip shot to win the game. They spike the ball with 00:05 remaining. The field goal is good. The Steelers lose a gut-wrenching divisional matchup against a rookie backup quarterback to move to 6-4. 34-yard attempt by Dustin Hopkins. Timeout #3 called by Pittsburgh. The field goal is good. Defense called for offsides and the field goal stands.
00:02 left on the clock, the kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, last play of the game, a lateral play and Johnson was tackled after a short gain.
FINAL SCORE: 13-10 BROWNS
