By Mike DeFabo, Zac Jackson and Amos Morale III
Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter and the Pittsburgh Steelers forced key turnovers in the fourth quarter to pick up a 27-14 win against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The Steelers led 13-7 heading into the third quarter in Pittsburgh (10-3) with Wilson and the offense pulling away with touchdown passes to receiver Van Jefferson and tight end Pat Freiermuth to stretch the advantage to 27-7.
The Browns (3-10) cut into the lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jameis Winston to tight end David Njoku. Cleveland got the ball back on the following drive after forcing a Cordarrelle Patterson fumble, that was recovered by Myles Garrett. Winston however had his pass for Elijah Moore intercepted on the ensuing Browns series.
Pittsburgh sealed the win when Browns returner Kadarius Toney muffed a punt allowing Pittsburgh’s Ben Skowronek to recover the loose ball.
Steelers offense stumbles, then finishes strong
Steelers receiver George Pickens poured some gasoline on the Browns-Steelers rivalry over the last two weeks. At the end of a Week 12 loss, he got into a wrestling match with Browns defensive back Greg Newsome. In the locker room afterward, the Steelers receiver told reporters that “I don’t really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions kinda saved them today.”
The lightning rod receiver, who was challenged by coach Mike Tomlin this week to “grow up,” continued to double down on his comments and provide more bulletin board material this week. When asked about Newsome on Friday, Pickens said, “I don’t even know who that is.”
The stage appeared to be set for a spicy rematch. Instead, Pickens was held out of the game with a hamstring injury.
Missing its most explosive weapon, the Steelers offense stumbled out of the gate. It went three-and-out on four of its first five offensive possessions and by halftime Wilson had completed just 8-of-17 passes for 46 yards.
For a moment, it looked like Pickens’ absence would hamstring the Steelers all day.
However, the Steelers came out of the locker room looking like a different unit. Wilson led touchdown drives on back-to-back possessions to create a comfortable lead. Both were touchdown strikes.
There’s no question Pittsburgh needs Pickens to accomplish its ultimate goal. However, the way the offense responded in the second half shows that Wilson’s experience can help them survive a brief stint without the star wideout. All eyes will be on his status ahead of a measuring-stick game against the Philadelphia Eagles next week. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer
Steelers defense returns to form
While the Steelers offense was down one playmaker, the defense got a shot-in-the-arm when outside linebacker Alex Highsmith returned from an ankle injury. Highsmith, who missed three games, made his presence felt early. He sacked Winston on the Browns’ opening possession, which helped set up the Steelers with great field position that they ultimately turned into a field goal.
With Highsmith back, the defense kept the Steelers in the game in the first half when the offense spun its wheels. Then, they provided a spark when defensive lineman Keeanu Benton intercepted a screen pass to set up a touchdown drive that allowed Pittsburgh to reclaim the lead, 10-7.
One week after Winston threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns, the Steelers defense mostly kept a lid on the gunslinger. It forced Winston into two interceptions and limited him to 211 passing yards and two touchdowns on 41 attempts.
While the Steelers’ offensive improvements have lifted their ceiling, this is still a team that wants to play a dominant brand of defensive football. After allowing 24 points to the Browns (including a game-winning touchdown drive) and then 31 offensive points to the Bengals last week, the defense largely returned to form. — DeFabo
Loss to Browns looks like blip on the radar
When the Steelers lost to the Browns two weeks ago, it was fair to wonder if this was just a blip on the radar or an early warning sign. The way the Steelers responded against the same opponent just 17 days later shows this was more of a hiccup than anything else.
The Steelers have now won seven of their last eight games. Wilson himself is now 6-1 as the Steelers’ starter. The Browns loss is the one blemish.
By taking care of business, the Steelers are now in position to be tested by their toughest stretch of the season. They’ll play the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs — three of the NFL’s best teams — within a span of 11 days from Dec. 15 to Dec. 25. — Defabo
Typical Browns
The Browns’ defense was playing well early, but a Winston interception allowed the Steelers to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Browns just always to seem to screw up — interceptions, penalties, blown coverages — and it happened again here.
There’s not a lot left to say about the state of the 3-10 Browns, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Winston is too reckless, the defense loses too many receivers and the special teams have long been a mess. The Browns started the fourth quarter with a third and one in the red zone and two plays later ended up punting. That short sequence sums it up — not just today, but the season as a whole. — Zac Jackson, Browns beat writer
Taunting on special teams?
The miserable season for Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins continued. Hopkins missed field goal tries of 38 and 43 yards, the second of which wasn’t even close. Hopkins is struggling and probably pressing, and his lack of confidence showed up. The 38-yarder was his second miss from inside 40 yards in the last four games, and it continued a run of shaky special teams play that also included a fourth-quarter taunting penalty on Toney.
Yes, the 3-10 Browns got a taunting penalty while down by 20 in the fourth quarter. Jerome Ford had a 56-yard kickoff return to open the second half, but that series ended with an offensive pass interference call and Hopkins’ second missed field goal. Hopkins got $8.3 million in guaranteed money on the extension he signed last July and is set to count $2.89 million on next year’s salary cap. — Jackson
Required reading
- NFL Week 14 scores and live updates: Playoff picture, standings, news, inactives, predictions, odds
- NFL playoff projections 2024: The Athletic’s model predicts the field
- Jameis Winston has had ups and downs as a starter. Could he return to Browns in 2025?
- The Steelers and George Pickens are at a crossroads. What’s next for the mercurial WR?
(Photo: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
