CLEVELAND – It wasn’t actually supposed to snow, at least not heavily, and it didn’t until Thursday evening in the third quarter. The Cleveland Browns, four days off a clunker that was embarrassing even by their standards in New Orleans, were not allowed to edge out the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers. But this was not a night for accurate predictions.

It became a snowstorm. And somehow the match went from a slog to a goal-fest. After the Browns took control of the game at least three times but squandered the lead, momentum and traction on a field that was getting slicker by the second, they finally converted a third down for the first time in the final two minutes.

Jameis back to Jeudy!#PITvsCLE on PrimeVideo
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—NFL (@NFL) November 22, 2024

Two plays later, Nick Chubb scored his second rushing touchdown of the night in the kind of running weather he craves. The Browns – despite being averse to the run at times, the timely play, the smart play and covering receivers in the middle of the field – would make a final defensive stand to seal a strange but satisfying victory, 24 -19.

There was much joy among the fans who stayed. Many had gone home when Jameis Winston threw an interception with 4:22 left, and it would have been hard to blame them considering the way the Steelers had fallen back to erase a 12-point deficit with two scores in less than two minutes around midpoint. of the fourth quarter. But those who left missed several clutch plays from Winston and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, and a great celebration afterward.

Browns players made snow angels and then slid into the locker room while trying not to slip. In the space of about 15 minutes the snow had gone from light to completely coating the field.

Even Chubb, who rarely shows any emotion, tapped Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio on the helmet after his first touchdown. He then graciously accepted his teammates’ congratulations as he headed to the sideline after scoring the game winner.

The Browns are 3-8, and they tried to give this one away several times, but they managed to cut the Steelers to 8-3, with Chubb — whose knee was shredded in Pittsburgh last September — scoring the first and final touchdown. .

“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Winston said.

Chubb had averaged just 3.1 yards per carry and had not gone for more than 52 yards or 16 carries in any of the previous four games before rushing 20 times for 59 yards on Thursday night. Chubb is still trying to trust his surgically repaired knee at full speed. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said earlier this week that Cleveland’s limitation of Chubb to 11 carries in New Orleans was done in part because of the short turnaround time for Thursday night and one that had extra significance for Chubb even if the running back said it didn’t .

Chubb never says much. He just loves football. After working his way back from injury, he scored touchdown Nos. 50 and 51 of his career, the latter by crossing a goal line that had to be swept between snaps and series as the snow intensified.

“Honestly, I’m out of superlatives for Nick,” Stefanski said. “He’s my favorite player on the team. You can tell anyone I said that.”

CHUBB. SIX. @BROWN LEAD WITH 57 SECONDS LEFT!#PITvsCLE on PrimeVideo
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—NFL (@NFL) November 22, 2024

The Browns celebrated Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson’s final heave being knocked away like one big, icy family. They offset the 1-for-10 mark on third downs by going 4-for-4 on fourth downs. Winston looked like he was going to be sacked on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, but he escaped and jumped over the goal line while taking on a would-be tackler. Both teams got sloppy and made some questionable decisions, but Winston wisely kept going back to Jeudy, who has been a different player since Winston took over.

Myles Garrett sacked Wilson three times in the first half, and although the Browns’ defense later returned to the habit of giving up big passing plays in the middle of the field, their own wins on fourth down – and a stunning deep pass from Justin Fields on third down in the final four minutes – helped the Browns hold on. With wild swings in a wild blizzard and both teams appearing to lack chances at various times, the Browns showed resilience and poise that have been lacking at times this season.

“It got a little slippery, but we fought through it,” Browns right tackle Jack Conklin said after holding Steelers edge rusher extraordinaire TJ Watt without a sack or quarterback hit. “Just a bit of fun, you know?”

The Browns’ willingness to fight was evident and impressive, as the game had much more significance in the standings for the Steelers. Chubb does not have a contract for next year. Neither does Winston. The Browns don’t have a true left tackle under contract for next year and saw their fourth starter this season, Germain Ifedi, take a strip sack from Nick Herbig with 7:10 to go, which led to Pittsburgh taking the lead. But the Browns, even after giving up too many big plays in a short period of time to go from 18-6 to 19-18, found a way to take back a game they seemed to have given away.

“It was snowing and it wasn’t the best surface, but this is Cleveland, Ohio,” Winston said. “This is football, right? This is what you live and dream… you pray for an environment like this and you just hope for victory. We achieved victory.”

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Browns defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II, who made a solo tackle on one of the Browns’ fourth down stops, credited Cleveland’s equipment staff with keeping the team ready to tackle the elements. He said the Browns were instructed to wear “seven-studs,” a type of cleat with seven grippers made for slippery conditions. Hurst joked that he owed Jeudy a hug, but not necessarily because the receiver kept the team moving late in the game.

“Jerry’s from Florida, so he’s probably cold from the snow,” Hurst said. “He came up big tonight. A lot of guys did that. We said we can be a great team and our record doesn’t show that, so it was good to see everyone stepping up to help us finish one.”

About 15 minutes after it ended, Winston emerged from the locker room to take the spotlight and do an interview on the Amazon broadcast. He sang the Christmas classic ‘Jingle Bells’ in a way only Winston can.

It snowed in Cleveland in March on the day Winston came to the facility to take a physical examination and sign his contract, and that was a big deal for his young sons, who had lived in Florida and Louisiana. They sang “Jingle Bells” when they saw the snow that day, and again on their way to school Thursday morning, Winston said. So Winston sang it joyfully and loudly late on Thursday evening.

What the future holds for Winston or the Browns remains unknown. But what he and the team did in the fourth quarter on a slick field Thursday night against the hated Steelers is something that will live on forever in Cleveland. It’s the kind of thing you sing about.

Jingle all the way.

(Photo: Ken Blaze/Imagn Images)