PITTSBURGH, PA (WSAZ) – It was a start that made NFL history when the Cleveland Browns scored 28 points in the first quarter and won the NFL Wild Card playoff game with a final of 48:37. The first game of the game was a disaster for the Steelers as the snap from Maurkice Pouncey to Ben Roethlisberger was up and restored to 7-0 by former WVU player Karl Joseph. The Browns scored three more hits in the first 15 minutes, highlighted by two Kareem Hunt results and a 40-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to Jarvis Landry.
The first half was a nightmare for Roethlisberger, who threw three interceptions and the offense also had a fumble. The Steelers finally scored towards the end of the first half when James Conner arrived from a yard and completed a 13 game, 89 yard drive. Cleveland responded with a 64 yard drive of 9 games in 1:10 when Baker Mayfield threw a second touchdown pass to bring the score to 35-7. A 49-yard field goal from Chris Boswell brought the half-time to 35-10 after time ran out.
Pittsburgh took the lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter on a touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Eric Ebron, who scored 35-16. After a playoff in Cleveland, the Steelers took the lead a little more on their next possession with another touchdown when Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster found the end zone for 35-23.
Cleveland responded early in the fourth quarter when Baker Mayfield threw a pass at Nick Chubb, who rumbled 40 yards for the touchdown to bring the lead to 19 points. The back and forth continued when Pittsburgh faced another touchdown from Roethlisberger to Smith-Schuster. After a failed two-point switch, Cleveland was still leading with 13 points. Cleveland was able to run more than 6 minutes of play on the next drive, which resulted in a field goal from Cody Parkey.
Ben Roethlisberger’s fourth intercept of the game sealed the win for Cleveland despite Pittsburgh’s late fourth-quarter touchdown. The Browns will play in Kansas City next Sunday afternoon.
It is Cleveland’s first playoff win since January 1, 1995.
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