The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns are expected to give each other a run for their money most of the time. Thursday night was no different as a wintry mix fell from the Cleveland sky.
The Browns, who played in subzero temperatures, upset the Steelers with a score of 24-19 to end the Steelers’ five-game winning streak.
Myles Garrett and the Browns dominated most of the game against their AFC North opponent. Garrett was a game wrecker and the Browns defense shut down Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh offense.
Thursday’s game at Huntington Bank Field was a classic AFC North game – tough and physical with both offenses and defenses playing well.
USATodayWorld News Sports selects the winners and losers from the Week 12 AFC North battle:
Myles Garrett
In the first half, Garrett was the best player on the field. He had three sacks, one forced fumble and four pressures.
Garrett had a sack on the Steelers’ first offense play that culminated in a missed field goal by kicker Chris Boswell.
The Browns’ star defensive end then had a strip sack in the second quarter and closed out the first half with another sack.
Garrett was matched up against multiple double teams in the second half as the Steelers got their strategy right.
The Browns’ defensive end did have to go to the blue tent in the fourth quarter but he was back on the field. Garrett made five tackles and three sacks in the game that his team emerged victorious.
The Browns’ QB had a couple of wayward passes, but made what I believe were the two biggest throws of the game.
In the early moments of the fourth quarter on fourth down, Winston decided to take a hit. He fumbled around, got up and ran 2 yards and jumped to get to the plane and score a touchdown.
The battery to his communications device even popped out of his helmet during the TD scramble, per the Amazon broadcast.
Winston’s touchdown, coupled with a two-point conversion, gave the Browns an 18-6 lead with 12:16 remaining.
Later in the fourth quarter, the Browns’ quarterback went on to complete a 15-yard pass to Jerry Jeudy for the game-winning score.
Winston was 18-of-27 for 219 yards in the contest. Threw one interception and fumbled one away. It was an up-and-down performance from the veteran QB, but he competed.
Nick Chubb
It was Chubb’s first game against the Steelers since the brutal knee injury he sustained in the teams’ 2023 Week 2 game.
Chubb ran hard and got tough yards against a stingy Pittsburgh run defense. The Browns’ running back poetically scored the game-winning touchdown with under a minute left in the fourth quarter.
Jerry Jeudy
Jeudy made himself Cleveland’s go-to man at wide receiver, and his huge 15-yard catch on third down set up Nick Chubb’s game-winning, 2-yard touchdown.
He ended with six catches for 85 yards-most on the board-and seemed always to have an open lane through the snow.
Grounds People
In commendable fashion, the Browns’ grounds crew had to keep the field, at least making the snowy surface playable.
Bettors
Oh, and Browns punter Corey Bojorquez’s first punt traveled a grand total of 12 yards.
Steelers punter Corliss Waitman shanked a 15-yard punt late in the fourth quarter that gave Cleveland life.
Bojorquez had three punts with a total average of 30.7 yards.
Waitman only committed that one pricey 15-yard gaffe.
Browns’ Third-down Efficiency
The Browns went 1-for-10 on third down.
Winston hurled a very pricey third-down interception, with under five minutes left in the ball game.
Russell Wilson
Wilson suffered his first loss as the Steelers’ starting QB despite producing his fourth straight game with a passer rating above 90 (116.7).
The veteran quarterback is now 4-1 as Pittsburgh’s starter. He’s played well enough to keep his job.
