Cleveland Browns (7-3) – Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4): 13-10
The poster promised a defensive opposition, the match will have kept all its promises. With 17 punts and less than 500 combined yards, you had to love rough encounters. A festival of incomplete passes and negative plays, but which did not have the bad taste of ending in overtime. Pittsburgh only produced 64 yards in the air, Cleveland barely better with 164 yards thrown. The race didn’t really take over, since apart from an almost miraculous long distance touchdown the two franchises only grabbed around a hundred yards on the ground.
But the essential is acquired for Cleveland, which imposes itself on its lands and remains in the race of the AFC North in pursuit of Baltimore, while the opponent of the evening shows deep weaknesses and that Cincinnati seems on the down with the loss of Joe Burrow. However, the Browns, also orphaned by their starting quarterback and runner, may be concerned about their offensive production. The defense won’t be able to do everything when December and January roll around.
You will not pass !
In this second AFC North duel, it is the Browns who draw first. Well helped by advantageous starting positions, the Ohio hounds rely on David Njoku (TE, 56 yards) and Jerome Ford (RB, 39 yards, 1 TD) to take the advantage by insisting on the ground. Opposite, even if the Pennsylvania defense imposes short and fast play, the attack is sluggish and seems incapable of finding a solution.
In the second quarter, the defensive duel continued in full force. The attacks produce little, are under pressure, and only visit the field for a few plays before handing over to the opponent without giving themselves any opportunities to score points. At the end of the clock, the Browns eat away at the field yard after yard, Dorian Thompson-Robinson (QB, 24/43, 165 yards, 1 INT) plays small gains, and Cleveland manages to increase its lead with a field goal just before the return to the locker room after stumbling a few yards from the Pittsburgh goal. When the whistle blew, the Steelers produced 64 yards, including 15 passing…
The Browns in suffering
As much as the first period was without thrills, the second half didn’t take long to get going. From the start Jaylen Warren (RB, 145 yards, 1 TD) escapes on the right and breaks through for a 74-yard touchdown which puts Pittsburgh back in the match. Second burst of brilliance, when Chandon Sullivan (CB) intercepts Thompson-Robinson on the edge of the red zone. But no domination emerges from this part, the match is played out with forceps.
The final quarter opens with a Warren festival. 21 yards, then 12 yards, and the Steelers are at the entrance to the red zone. Despite everything, an effort just enough for a field goal which puts the two teams back on par. And the waltz of punts continues, the match will be up to whoever wants (can) take it. And in this game, it is Cleveland who makes the most of the situation. A little from Elijah Moore (WR, 60 yards), a little from Njoku, and the Browns are within field goal distance a few seconds from the deadline. The ball rises and passes the posts, the men of Ohio win on their land in a stifling match which ended in difficulty.
Jaylen Warren goes 74 yards!
📺: #PITvsCLE on CBS
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