Steelers rally from sluggish start to down Browns in OT
If the Miami Dolphins caught the end of the Steelers-Browns game on television Sunday, they had to be dismayed by what they saw.
There were the Steelers, with no playoff implications at stake, treating overtime against the NFL's worst team like the waning moments of the Super Bowl.
There was the defense, 2 yards from allowing a winning touchdown, producing a stand that led to a field goal that kept the extra session going.
There was the offense, directed by a backup quarterback, converting fourth-down pass then beating the Browns, 27-24, when Landry Jones threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Cobi Hamilton with 2 minutes, 57 seconds left in overtime.
So much for the Steelers, with their No. 3 playoff seed already intact, approaching their regular-season finale like an exhibition game.
Coach Mike Tomlin played what starters he had at his disposal the entire game, and despite some rough patches, the Steelers (11-5) gutted out a victory that extended their winning streak to seven games heading into the wild-card playoff round at home next weekend against Miami.
“Elements of that were ugly, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “But there were other elements of it that were quite beautiful.”
Before the Steelers and Browns headed into OT, the New England Patriots polished off a 35-14 win over the Dolphins that gave the No. 6 seed to Miami (10-6).
The playoff game will be a rematch from Week 6 when the Steelers lost in Miami, 30-15, to start a four-game losing streak.
“We're a different team now,” tackle Marcus Gilbert said. “I think they know that. We know that. They are a different team. We just have to come ready to play.”
The Dolphins won't have the luxury of facing the Steelers without four Pro-Bowl starters on offense. As expected, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown, running back Le'Veon Bell and center Maurkice Pouncey were rested by Tomlin against the Browns.
On defense, James Harrison dressed but did not play.
“We have everything we need (for the playoffs),” guard Ramon Foster said. “We just have to make the most out of this.”
Jones overcame a slow start to complete 24 of 37 passes for 277 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 103.1 passer rating. Running back DeAngelo Williams had a rushing and receiving touchdown and churned out 67 yards rushing.
“Everything was at stake today,” said Williams, who had his first carries since Nov. 6. “There's a lot of guys that were in that huddle that are not necessarily under contract next year. There's a lot of guys that were in that huddle that hadn't seen significant playing time all year, and we've got big business next week in the playoffs. ... It did a lot for our team.
“From the outside looking in, all the people that were saying this was a meaningless game, it wasn't meaningless at all.”
Still, the Steelers opened the game like they were trying to shake a New Year's Eve hangover. They trailed 14-0 in the second quarter. A Ryan Shazier interception prevented a possible 21-point deficit, and Williams twice had to avoid a safety with runs out of the end zone.
The defense also yielded 437 yards, including 231 rushing, to the Browns, who converted 8 of 15 third-down opportunities.
“We have to play to our scheme,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “It's not about them. It's about us. We have to do our stuff perfectly. And you saw today it wasn't quite like that.”
Guard David DeCastro said because of the unusual circumstances, the Steelers' focus drifted at times.
“It's not basketball where you can go in and play like it's pickup and mess around,” he said. “It's a physical game, and your mind has to be in it. It wasn't anyone's fault, but we weren't really there, and we have to get back to where we were before.”
The turning point came with 3:22 left in the third quarter.
The Browns, leading 14-7, nearly scored again on Briean Boddy-Calhoun's interception return. Boddy-Calhoun needed to navigate 68 yards for a touchdown. He got 67. Darrius Heyward-Bey, playing offense for the first time since Nov. 6, tracked him down at the goal line and punched the ball out, with Jones alertly recovering in the end zone.
This awakened the Steelers offense. Jones directed touchdown drives on the net two possessions, with Williams scoring on a 1-yard run and Demarcus Ayers scoring on an 11-yard reception for a 21-14 lead.
The Browns, however, rallied to tie it with 3:28 left on George Atkinson III's 5-yard touchdown run, and they had the ball on the Steelers' 5 with 1:12 remaining. But Isaiah Crowell, who had 152 yards rushing, fumbled on the next play, and Mike Mitchell recovered.
The Browns got the ball first in overtime and had a first-and-goal from the 2. But a 14-yard loss on a pass play forced Cleveland to settle for Cody Parkey's 34-yard field goal.
Jones directed a 75-yard drive in nine plays, converting a fourth-and-2 with a 6-yard pass to Ayers. On the next play, he found Hamilton in the back of the end zone to end the game.
“We had to battle and battle and battle,” DeCastro said. “It obviously wasn't pretty, but we got it done and that's big. Now it's one of those things you put behind you, and it's time to get on to Miami.”
Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jrutter@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tribjoerutter.
