FULL BOX SCORE

1. Winston completed the snowy thriller, but not without a late scare. When James Winston As he tumbled into the end zone early in the fourth quarter — his first rushing score in three years — on fourth down, Huntington Bank Field erupted into a snowglobe frenzy. The Browns led 18-6 with twelve minutes remaining, and Winston looked like the hero. He did (more or less), but not without nearly coughing it up with a fumble and interception afterward, giving the Steelers a shocking 19-18 lead under dire circumstances. Cleveland’s defense made one critical stop late, and Winston made a crucial third-down conversion to set up the game Nick Chubb ‘s second touchdown of the night. Winston looked downright impressive at times prior to the late-game flubs. And Chubb was allowed to score twice against the team he was against pain last season. In a wild, fun game, the Browns finally had something to smile about again, even though the fourth quarter seemed to be getting away from them.
2. Tomlin’s game management hurts Steelers with damaging loss. Mike Tomlin saw his Steelers claw back in the snow and let them take the lead. But his curious game management at the end of both halves might have contributed to the Steelers taking a major blow to their playoff position. With the Browns potentially facing a fourth-and-1 with just under two minutes remaining and the Steelers leading, 19–18, Tomlin elected to take a penalty, giving the Browns five yards moved back, but finished third again. Jameis Winston burned the Steelers with his first third-down conversion of the night, leading to the go-ahead TD. Not only did another minute burn off the clock, but the Browns were up by five, not one (had they kicked a field goal). There were some signs that this could be a trap game. The Steelers had a huge win over the Ravens on Sunday. It was a short week game on the road against a nothing to lose Browns club. And the anatomy of an upset played out in the Steelers’ script for the first half: missed field goal, turnover on downs, field goal, fumble, end of half. Tomlin took some criticism for that final possession; he let almost 40 seconds run off the clock in defense. The final two minutes of both halves were precious for the Steelers.
3. Brown’s defense looked great early but held up late. Sure, the Browns’ offense has been a disappointment this season. But the defense was expected to be the starting unit, and that simply had not been the case in Week 12. Perhaps the weather played a factor in the Browns’ success Thursday night, but they were arguably more effective when field conditions were better. earlier in the game. The Steelers certainly stumbled on some rakes offensively, but the Browns brought the heat with their pass rush in the first half – four sacks, including three by Myles Garrett who also had a strip that led to a Browns field goal. The Steelers drove for touchdowns after consecutive Browns turnovers, but the maligned Browns defense got a huge stop on a quick three-and-out that took just one minute off the clock. That was enough to give Cleveland’s go-ahead, and Russell WilsonThe Hail Mary fell harmlessly into the snowy field.
4. The Fields package gave the Steelers offense a late lift. Justin Fields came in on the Steelers’ first third-down snap, six plays into the game, but the play was blown dead due to a false start and Fields fouled out on third-and-6. On their second possession, Fields came on for a fourth-and-2 play, but it was a mess from the start and he was tackled for a loss of two yards and a turnover on downs. Not doing anything. But when the Steelers came back to Fields in the fourth quarter, trailing 18-6, he immediately gave them a spark with a 30-yard run. Later, Fields’ throw set up a flagrant passer, helping the Steelers get a big touchdown. The Steelers needed something. Russell Wilson started the game 11 for 11 passing for 147 yards and recovered a key fumble, but the Steelers were stuck within three points at the half. He was also sacked four times in the first half. Wilson struck on a beautiful deep ball Calvin Austin III to put the Steelers up late, and he was incredible on third downs (11 for 12, 198 yards, TD), but the pass protection was an issue. Then Moore struggled all night with Myles Garrett, and the Steelers gave up yards on pre-snap penalties.
5. Could Winston be the Browns’ QB in 2025? Winston did a lot of good things on Thursday night. He also almost coughed up the game with two crucial late errors. But overall, he was a breath of fresh air in Cleveland during a tough, dark season. Winston led the upset over the Ravens and then battled the Chargers. He played well in Sunday’s loss to the Saints and started well for the late heel turn on Thursday night. It’s always a ride with Winston. But it’s pretty clear that he’s a better stylistic fit for Kevin Stefanski’s offense, and the players seem to be feeding off his energy and enthusiasm. How do you not laugh when Winston makes snow angels after the game with the Amazon Prime postgame crew? There are also the results. Winston is 2-2 as a starter; Deshaun Watson won one of his seven starts. And from a distance, the 2025 QB options in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft don’t seem all that attractive. Winston might make the most sense, even though he knows he could be a wild card.

Next generation statistical insight for Steelers-Browns (via NFL Pro): Jameis Winston completed 5 of 6 passes on the run (8+ MPH) for 97 yards in snowy conditions in the Browns’ Week 12 win over the Steelers. On all other passes, Winston was 13 of 21 for 122 yards with an interception.

NFL Research: The Browns and Steelers combined for 16 points and one touchdown in the first three quarters, but they combined for 27 points and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter of Week 12.