The Browns gutted a dramatic snow win over the Steelers with a last minute TD

The Browns gutted a dramatic snow win over the Steelers with a last minute TD

by

The Cleveland Browns are having a rough season. They entered Thursday’s match with a record of 2:8. There wasn’t much to cheer about.

But on Thursday night, the Browns gave their fans a win they’ll remember for a while.

In a blinding snowstorm that turned the field into something like a movie, the Browns put together a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter to beat their AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19. Cleveland QB Jameis Winston hit some clutch tosses when he barely saw his receivers downfield, and Nick Chubb scored with 57 seconds left. And Browns fans, who have endured bad football this season and a Thursday night blizzard, packed the stadium in the final minute to celebrate an entertaining victory.

The Browns are not going to the playoffs. The 2024 season will be mostly forgettable. However, the Browns may have some really fond memories of Winston leading the team to victory on the snow. If they could see the field through the blizzard.

Coming off a massive game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, the Steelers looked hungover in the first half.

Pittsburgh scored only three points. Kicker Chris Boswell, who is having a remarkable season, missed the mark. The Steelers offense was destroyed by Myles Garrett, who had three sacks in the first half. Garrett also forced a fumble on Russell Wilson, which the Browns recovered and turned into a field goal just before halftime. Cleveland led 10-3 at halftime.

The Browns simply dominated the game up front on defense. In the third quarter, the Steelers went for it on fourth-and-1, and Jaylen Warren was stopped for a 1-yard loss. In the first half, the Steelers put backup QB Justin Fields on a fourth-down play and let him run, and the Browns stopped him for a 2-yard loss.

Cleveland fans have had to wonder where the defense that was exceptional last season was during the first 11 weeks of this season.

The Browns kept the momentum going in the second half as the snow fell harder and the field turned white. They went for it on fourth and goal early in the fourth quarter. Winston jumped into the end zone on a scramble and scored, then the 2-point conversion gave Cleveland an 18-6 lead.

In the snow, it seemed very difficult to overcome the lead, but Pittsburgh did not give up.

The Steelers got a big play from Fields to get back into the game. Fields took off on a 30-yard run down the sideline, the first time the Steelers had hit a big play in a long time. That gave Pittsburgh a spark. After a roughing the passer penalty followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Cleveland, Warren scored a 3-yard touchdown and the Steelers were back in the game.

Then Pittsburgh’s defense came up with a key play. Nick Herbig hit Winston in the snow and the ball came loose. The Steelers recovered at the Cleveland 27-yard line. The Steelers had yet to run an offense in the snow to take the lead and face a third-and-six. Wilson fired into the end zone and Calvin Austin III came down with a 23-yard touchdown pass. The Steelers missed the 2-point conversion but led 19-18.

The Browns had to put together their own scoring performance in near whiteout conditions. Winston somehow completed a 26-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy to get Cleveland into Steelers territory. However, Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson turned Winston away with 4:22 left.

It was up to the Browns not to give up.

Cleveland’s defense then held, and the Steelers’ ensuing punt went only 16 yards under pressure in terrible conditions. Cleveland had another go-ahead drive, starting at Pittsburgh’s 46-yard line with more than three minutes left. Jeudy caught a huge fourth down pass to keep the drive going. Winston hit Jeudy again on third down for 15 yards to move to the 10-yard line. The Browns made sure they didn’t have to sweat a field goal attempt in the snow as Chubb scored on a 2-yard run to give Cleveland a 24-19 lead. The Browns snuffed out a Hail Mary attempt on the final play for the win.

It’s a damaging loss for the Steelers after an 8-2 opener. But it will be the highlight of the season for the Browns.

LIVE IS OVER53 updates

  • A very specific, yet frustrating losing streak.

  • It is still unclear what happened to George Pickens.

  • Final statistics

    Jameis Winston: 18 of 27 for 219 yards, one interception and a rushing TD

    Russell Wilson: 21 of 28 for 270 yards and one TD.

    Nick Chubb: 20 carries for 59 yards and two TDs.

    Jerry Jeudy: six catches on six targets and 85 yards.

  • Phew, Wilson is SHOT in the ribs by Jordan Hicks right after the pass.

  • FINAL: Browns 24, Steelers 19

    Russell Wilson goes for the Hail Mary and the Browns defense beats him easily. Cleveland is coming off a huge win against the AFC North leader, and now it looks like George Pickens is going at it with someone.

    What a game.

  • Now with 16 seconds left and 44 yards to go after Jaylen Warren makes the play on first down. This is in preparation for Russell Wilson’s Hail Mary.

  • Jaylen Warren returns it to the 35 and the Steelers go for a touchdown with 50 seconds and one timeout remaining.

  • TOUCHDOWN: Nick Chubb punts it to take over

    Nick Chubb completes a disastrous sequence for the Steelers with a one-yard touchdown and the Browns now lead by five with 57 seconds left after a failed two-point conversion. This game became awesome when it started snowing for real.

  • And then Winston finds Jerry Jeudy for the first huge fall. And then the Steelers defense gets called for a delay of game. The Browns are now 1:43 short of a field goal.

  • Correction, the Steelers are now taking a penalty, so it’s 3rd and 7 for the Browns. The Cleveland crowd is not happy after the time off in Pittsburgh.

  • Huge swing when Jameis Winston was picked off on 3rd-and-2, but appeared to get a pass to the back of his offensive line. The refs don’t call it an intentional grounding, they call it illegal touches on a pass by center Ethan Pocic.

    The result is a declined penalty and a 4th and 7 for the Browns to go for it.

  • Big play for the Browns, who are knocking on the red zone door at the two-minute warning.

  • The Steelers go three-and-out, then a rush and off-target punt by Corliss Waitman gives the Browns the ball at the Pittsburgh 46. The Browns have the ball again with 3:29 left and two timeouts.

  • INTERCEPTION: Steelers take over with 4:34 left

    And then Jameis Winston does, picking Donte Jackson. The Steelers can now put this game away from the 24.

  • Jameis Winston is on one right now.

  • TOUCHDOWN: The Steelers completed the comeback with a 23-yard TD to Calvin Austin

    The Browns took an 18-6 lead with 12:16 left in the game. In a span of about six minutes, the Steelers scored a touchdown, got the ball back on a fumble and then scored another touchdown, all while playing through driving snow.

  • FUMBLE: The Steelers get the ball back at the Browns’ 27

    Here is the stop. Nick Herbig gets on Jameis Winston’s blind side and records a clean sack, with Deshon Elliott recovering the ball. The Steelers are now threatening to take the lead.

  • TOUCHDOWN: The Steelers tied the score with Jaylen Warren’s 3-yard run

    With help from Russell Wilson and Justin Fields along the way, the Steelers scored their first touchdown in seven quarters. They still need to stop another touchdown, but there’s plenty of time left.

  • Amazon reports that it’s just a dead battery and Winston could still hear everything, but it’s another part of the wild game.

  • A quick portrait of Justin Fields, who starts three games and then leaves after getting crushed in the penalty box.

Leave a Comment