PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers fell 24-19 to the Cleveland Browns in the first snowy game of the season. The Steelers are now 8-3 and the Browns improved to 3-8. Steelers’ quarterback Russell Wilson passed for 270 yards on 75% passing and a touchdown. Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III caught all three of his targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston passed for 219 yards on 66.6% completions and an interception. Browns running back Nick Chubb scored two touchdowns.

The first quarter was not what the Steelers hoped for. With the snow coming down and the wind blowing hard, the Steelers tried to cap their first drive with a 59-yard Chris Boswell field goal. But Boswell missed wide right due to his leg or the wind – only his second miss of the season. Notably, backup quarterback Justin Fields came in for a third-down play, but the different cadence between Fields and Wilson caused a false start penalty.

On the next drive, Wilson spotted wide receiver George Pickens one-on-one and connected with the star receiver for a 31-yard gain. On fourth-and-2 at Cleveland’s 38-yard line, Fields re-entered the game. But the Fields run couldn’t get past the line-to-gain, and the Steelers turned it over on downs.

The upside for the Steelers was that the defense forced consecutive three-and-outs. The Steelers had eighty yards and the Browns recorded just 14 yards of offense in the first quarter.
Neither team scored.

Wilson hit another explosive play on the next drive with a 46-yard completion to wide receiver Calvin Austin III. The huge gain highlighted a 10-play, 59-yard drive to the Browns’ 25-yard line, but a false start penalty on the field goal attempt pushed the Steelers out of the red zone. Boswell redeemed itself with a 48-yard field goal to take the lead 3-0.

The Browns wouldn’t stay down for long. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston repeatedly connected with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for gains of 16, eight and 15 yards. Browns running back Nick Chubb, who suffered a horrific leg injury against the Steelers last season, punched in the first touchdown from two yards out. Browns led 7-3 with four minutes to go.

Wilson may have caught the turnover bug. On the second play of the ensuing drive, Wilson was pressured by Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Wilson fumbled with the ball. The Browns came up with the recovery at the Steelers’ 31-yard line.

The Browns managed to get one first down with a solid gain from wide receiver Elijah Moore, but the Steelers defense tightened up and forced a field goal. After playing one of their worst halves of football all season, the Steelers tried to at least get into field goal range with 40 seconds left. The drive started off great with a 19-yard completion for Pat Freiurmuth. But then two incompletions and a third-and-10 sack meant the Steelers looked to cut their losses and regroup for the second half.

Weather must have played a bigger role in a short week AFC North game than expected. On the first play of the second half, Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick made a tackle and forced a fumble, but the Browns recovered it. Two plays later, Steelers’ DeShon Elliott, the other starting safety, forced a fumble from Browns’ wide receiver Cedric Tillman and defensive back Donte Jackson recovered it.

At their 25-yard line, the Steelers’ offense had to make something work. After four straight plays and a short pass from Wilson, the Steelers were once again on fourth and short. But the Steelers surrendered it to downs for the second time in their own territory.

Perhaps confidence in the defense factored into the decision, as the Steelers’ defense forced another three-and-out.

The Steelers offense eventually put together a decent drive, but the weather took a turn for the worst. The snowfall completely covered the ground, made visibility very poor and made the ball even wetter than at the start of the match – a classic AFC North football match. On third-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 34-yard line, Wilson found wide receiver Van Jefferson wide open for a 35-yard gain. Wilson even extended a play for a first down later in the drive. And finally, a fourth-and-1 throw to Freiurmuth gave the Steelers their fourth down conversion that they had been chasing all game.

Rookie center Zach Frazier, either due to human error or the snow, snapped the ball well over Wilson’s head in the red zone. Wilson prevented the fumble, but the mistake put the offense well behind the sticks. Boswell scored a 28-yard field goal to cut the Steelers’ deficit to 10-6 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.

The Browns answered with an explosive play of their own when Wilson found tight end Blake Whiteheart for a 29-yard gain on the first play of the drive. On fourth-and-inches just outside the red zone, Chubb broke a tackle by Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts and crossed the line to win. At the goal line and with an offensive line that was dominant all game, the Browns kept the ball on the ground. On fourth down, the Browns, with nothing to lose, went for it.

Winston twice avoided being sacked, jumped and spun into the end zone. With a 16-6 lead, the Browns opted to go for two. Winston found tight end David Njoku for the ensuing conversion, putting the Browns ahead 18-6 with 12:46 left in the fourth quarter. The Browns finished 1-10 on third-down conversions and a perfect 4-4 on fourth-down.

Below 12, the Steelers’ offense needed to be unlocked. On the second play, Fields re-entered the game and immediately broke off a 30-yard run down the sideline. Two plays later, Fields was assessed a roughing-the-passer penalty. The Browns couldn’t keep their heads down when they were flagged for a neutral zone violation and a Browns defender ripped Pickens’ mouthpiece off his helmet, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. At Cleveland’s three-yard line, running back Jaylen Warren leapt into the end zone for the Steelers’ first touchdown. The Browns led 18-13 with 7:57 left in the game.

The Steelers’ comeback intensified. On the second play of the Browns’ next drive, edge rusher Nick Herbig sacked Winston and Elliott recovered the fumble.

With the ball on Cleveland’s 27-yard line, the Steelers were assured of at least three points. In third and sixth, Wilson, under heavy pressure, wanted everything at once. Wilson completed a 23-yard pass to Austin III in the middle of the end zone for another touchdown.

Since a Steelers comeback seemed likely, the Browns played. Things looked bleak as the Browns muffed the kickoff, only to recover it deep in their territory. Winston did connect with Jeudy for 26 yards, but then threw two incompletions and a terrible interception to Jackson. But the Browns defense forced a three-and-out and the Steelers only punted for 15 yards.

The Browns only needed a field goal to take the lead. Already on the other side of the field, Winston and the Browns didn’t need much to give their kicker a chance, even in the snow. Winston avoided another sack on third-and-3, making the ensuing fourth-down attempt much easier. And for the fourth time, the Browns went for it on fourth down and converted.

Ultimately, the Browns converted on a third down. Winston completed a 15-yard pass to Jeudy to get just outside the Steelers’ end zone. Chubb retook the lead with another two-yard touchdown. With a five-point lead, the Browns went for two, but a false start penalty pushed the try back five yards. Jeudy couldn’t knock in the two-point conversion and the Steelers had 57 seconds to put together a game-winning drive.

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