Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns are back in the playoffs, qualifying for the first time since 2002, after surviving a late drive by the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 24-22 win on Sunday.
The Browns (11-5) nearly blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, but stopped Pittsburgh’s two-point conversion attempt and then recovered a side kick with 1:22 to play.
A week of COVID-19 outages ended in celebration when the Browns ended what had been the longest postseason drought in the NFL. His reward: another game against the AFC North champions Steelers in Pittsburgh next weekend.
For the first time since 2002, the Cleveland Browns have qualified for the #NFLplayoffs.
Congratulations to your fans! #NFL #browns pic.twitter.com/XjikJ6FEif
— Spanish Bowl (@TheSpanishBowl) January 3, 2021
Nick Chubb scored once on the ground, Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass and the Browns held on as Mason Rudolph brought back the Steelers (12-4), who had the luxury of seating their best players after winning the division LA last week.
The Steelers rested starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is 23-2-1 in his career against the Browns. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin started with Rudolph on the final day of the regular season. Big Ben, as Roethliberger is nicknamed, will get another shot against the Browns next week.
Before the scoreboard clock at FirstEnergy Stadium struck its final seconds, most of the 12,000 fans cheered wildly and the Browns players danced onto the field.
The victory completes a twist for the Browns and their passionate fan base, who have endured nearly two decades of dysfunction since the team’s last visit to the playoffs. During their absence from the postseason, the Browns suffered 197 losses, 14 double-digit losing seasons and seven managerial changes.
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