It was all about Ben last night at Heinz Field, but the night would have been spoiled without a Steelers victory. They got it, beating the Cleveland Browns, 26-14, and keeping alive their slim playoff hopes with one game left in the regular season.
In Ben Roethlisberger’s likely final game at Heinz Field, a crowd of 63,624 roared throughout the night. Roethlisberger threw the ball 46 times, completing only 24 and gaining just 123 yards through the air, but he hit Diontae Johnson with a five-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give the Steelers a 7-0 lead and Chris Boswell kicked a 22-yard field goal later in the quarter to make it 10-0 at the half. Boswell extended the lead to 13-0 in the third quarter with a 30-yard field goal, and then after the Browns scored a touchdown in the third, Boswell kicked two more field goals in the fourth, from 50 and 48 yards. The Browns closed the gap to 19-14 before Najee Harris put the game away for Pittsburgh with a 37-yard touchdown run, Boswell’s kick setting the final score at 26-14.
Harris ran for a career-high 188 yards and broke Franco Harris’ franchise rookie record of 1,055 yards. Najee is at 1,174 yards with one game left to play.
The Steelers defense held the Browns to 185 yards passing and just 93 rushing, hitting quarterback Baker Mayfield 11 times and sacking him nine times. TJ Watt had four of the sacks, and has 21.5 sacks on the season, one shy of the all-time NFL record. He also broke up two passes.
REACTIONS:
Big Ben says lining up in the victory formation at the end was sweet.
Roethlisberger says he wanted to win it for the fans.
Big Ben says the game was a typical AFC North slugfest.
Defensive end Cam Heyward had four tackles, one of them a sack, and batted down two passes. He says he wanted to play well for Big Ben.
TJ Watt says the fans were incredible last night.
Coach Mike Tomlin says it was quite a night.
Tomlin says the emotions of the week could have been disruptive, but Big Ben set the tone.
JC Hassenauer started the game at center in place of Kendrick Greene, who injured his calf last week against Kansas City. Devin Bush remained on the reserve/covid list along with fellow inside linebacker Joe Schobert, so Robert Spillane and Marcus Allen started in their places. And Corliss Waitman punted in place of Pressley Harvin III, who did not practice last week after the death of his father.
To make the AFC playoffs, the Steelers need to beat the Ravens on Sunday, plus they need Jacksonville to upset Indianapolis and the Raiders and Chargers to not play to a tie.
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