The Drought is Over! The Browns Take Down Steelers to Clinch Playoff Berth
After a tough loss to the two-win Jets in Week 16, the Cleveland Browns went into a win-and-in scenario against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. In front of a whopping 12,000 fans, the Browns beat their division foe by a score of 24-22. With the win, they clinched their first playoff berth since 2002 and their first 11-win season since 1994. Let us analyze how the game played out and what to look for ahead.
Browns Pound the Rock
All season long, the Browns have run their offense through their running game, specifically the dynamic duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. This game proved no different, as the Browns rushed for an impressive 192 yards and 2 TD’s in the victory. Chubb led the way with 14 carries and 108 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown, while Hunt carried the ball 10 times for 37 yards. WR Jarvis Landry also pitched in a three-yard rushing touchdown, while QB Baker Mayfield had a season-high 44 yards, including a game-sealing third-down conversion on a QB Power.
While the rushing attack led the way, the air attack complemented the ground game very effectively in the winning effort. QB Baker Mayfield went 17-27 with 196 yards and a touchdown to TE Austin Hooper, who finished the day with four catches and 37 yards. Mayfield spread the wealth to seven different receivers with WR Rashard Higgins leading the yardage category with 55 yards. WR Jarvis Landry paced the team in catches with five on the day.
Cleveland “D” Does Just Enough
Even without a few key guys due to COVID-19, which includes star CB Denzel Ward, the Browns defense did just enough to earn the victory in Week 17. Cleveland gave up 394 yards (309 passing) and allowed the Steelers to go 8-17 on third down and 2-2 on fourth down. Despite this, the Browns made one final stop on a two-point conversion to hold the lead and clinch a spot in the playoffs. Rookie LB Jacob Phillips had a career day, totaling 10 tackles in the victory. DE Olivier Vernon recorded his ninth sack of the season and CB M.J. Stewart caught his second interception on the season. The interception led to a touchdown to make the score 24-9 at the time. The Cleveland secondary also recorded six passes defensed on the day in the team effort.
Mason Rudolph Impresses
Despite QB Ben Roethlisberger getting the game off with the Steelers already clinched, QB Mason Rudolph did a nice job starting in his place. The former Oklahoma State product went 22-39 with 315 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the loss. Rudolph did a good job of getting the ball downfield to his strong core of receivers, completing three passes over 40 yards on the day. WR Chase Claypool led the receiving attack with five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. To go along with Claypool, WR Diontae Johnson put up a line of 3-96 and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster chipped in a line of 6-65-1.
On the ground, the Steelers have struggled all year, and they continued in this Week 17 affair. RB James Conner had nine carries for 37 yards, leading the Steelers rushing attack. RB’s Anthony McFarland and Benny Snell Jr. also totaled eight carries for 27 yards. In total, Pittsburgh had 85 total rushing yards, which has been the theme for the last month or so. Look for Conner to try and get going as it is now-or-never with the playoffs arriving.
Looking Ahead
With the win, the Cleveland Browns clinched the sixth seed in the AFC, while the Steelers locked up the third seed once the Bills won their game over the Dolphins. As a result of this, the Browns and Steelers will run it back in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Both teams are expected to get key guys back in the AFC North showdown. The game will take place at Heinz Field on Sunday, 1/10 at 8:15 P.M. ET. The Steelers open as the favorite, but this is going to be a dogfight no matter what the line is. Look for a gritty effort from both teams as they both look to move on to the next round in their quests to the Super Bowl.
Info from profootballreference.com
Writer
-By: Richie Dordas