Cleveland wins another play-off game after 26 years – without a coach
Status: 1:17 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Historic victory: Quarterback Baker Mayfield (r.) And the Cleveland Browns celebrated after their first play-off victory since 1995
Source: AFP / Justin K. Aller
The Cleveland Browns provide the first surprise in the play-offs of the NFL. Against Pittsburgh, the Browns end a long dry spell without their head coach and even set a record. With the Steelers, however, tears flow.
Ben Roethlisberger has seen a lot in his career. The 38-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has played in the NFL for over 16 years. The fans reverently call the 1.96 meter tall and 109 kilogram Roethlisberger “Big Ben”.
After the game against the Cleveland Browns, the great Ben didn’t hide his feelings. Big tears ran from his reddened eyes. Shortly before, he and his team had lost 37:48 (10:35) to the outsider.
Almost at the same time, the Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield happily hopped into the catacombs. He had the ball tucked under his left arm. Mayfield knew how important this piece of leather is not only to him. After all, Cleveland won a game in the play-offs for the first time in 26 years.
Mayfield, 25, who was not born when the Browns won the last play-off on January 1, 1995, impressed with three touchdown passes. “We believed in it,” Mayfield said, “we don’t care about the outside people, we believed in it all along.” He woke up in the morning and “felt dangerous”.
Trainer Stefanski watches the game at home
The team, which had been severely decimated by corona cases and also had to do without head coach Kevin Stefanski, was dangerous, especially in the first quarter. While Stefanski had to follow the game from his home in Cleveland due to a positive corona test and was not allowed to intervene in the game due to the regulations, the Browns scored at will.
After just 14 seconds Cleveland was leading – in its first play-off game since January 2003 – after a failed snap by the Steelers and a touchdown from Safety Karl Joseph 7-0, after the first quarter it was 28 after two interceptions from Roethlisberger: 0 for the Browns. The 28 points were also a play-off record for a first quarter.
Pittsburgh got better in the second half, but Mike Tomlin made one or two unfortunate decisions that evening. Pittsburgh’s coach decided to punt the ball in the fourth attempt at a required yard at 23:35 instead of playing the attempt.
“We haven’t done enough. We didn’t make the necessary moves, especially not in the crucial scenes, ”said Tomlin. For the Steelers, who started the season with eleven wins in a row, the season ended abruptly.
Roethlisberger leaves the future open
The sad Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes and over 501 yards, but also made four interceptions, three of them in the first half. After the defeat, he left it open whether the 38-year-old, whose contract is still running for a year, will continue his career. “Now is not the time to talk about it.”
Ben Roethlisberger could have played his last game in the NFL against Cleveland
Source: AFP / Joe Sargent
Mayfield and the Browns face defending champions Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday. Also on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints compete against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after their 21: 9 against the Chicago Bears. There is another direct duel between the quarterback superstars Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
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