Steelers stunned by Browns late after digging early hole

CLEVELAND — It took brooms and leaf blowers to try to clear some of the snow Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field, then the Steelers managed to blow their own comeback in the final minutes.

Maybe it wasn’t a trap game against the Browns, but if that’s the case, then the Steelers just got beat by a previously 2-8 division doormat that looked like the better team for much of the night. Myles Garrett notched three first-half sacks against a statuesque Russell Wilson — including a takeaway strip-sack — and Jameis Winston rallied his offense multiple times in the second half to send the Steelers to their third consecutive loss in Cleveland, 24-19.

The Steelers fall to 8-3 and lose some ground in the AFC North race. They dug themselves an 18-6 hole less than three minutes into the fourth quarter and still clawed their way back to a 19-18 lead. But Nick Chubb’s 2-yard touchdown run with 57 seconds left capped a nine-play, 45-yard drive on a short field due to a 15-yard shank by punter Corliss Waitman.

A familiar formula played out for Wilson again, his rough start followed by clutch moments, with three takeaways from an opportunistic defense in between, but they broke when they could only bend on Cleveland’s last drive.

Wilson finished with 270 yards on 21-of-28 passing. He mostly put the ball where he wanted it to, but it was getting rid of the ball that was a problem. He was sacked four times for a loss of 22 yards and also scrambled three times for just 10 yards.

Justin Fields was mixed in, too, with three carries for 26 yards. That storyline isn’t going away anytime soon, and something needs to change with the Steelers' offensive inconsistency — particularly the slow starts.

Player of the game

Nick Herbig. His strip-sack of Winston changed the complexion of the game midway through the fourth quarter by reinvigorating the offense and giving Wilson a short field at the Browns' 27. The Steelers also hadn’t managed a sack all evening to that point until Herbig speed-rushed past journeyman left tackle Germain Ifedi, the third starter at that spot this season for the Browns, to get to Winston.

It seems just about every time Herbig has to fill in for starter Alex Highsmith, he makes the most of his opportunity and cements himself as a potential starter someday. Mr. Herbig, indeed.

It was over when

Wilson heaved a Hail Mary with six seconds left that was broken up in the end zone, followed by Browns fans throwing celebratory snowballs and trash-talking a frustrated George Pickens as he barked back into the front row.

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Jaylen Warren. For the first time this season, Warren looked like the more effective back than Najee Harris. He gained 45 yards on his 11 carries and added two catches for eight more. Warren’s usage figures to pick up down the stretch as he continues to get healthier and put his Washington fumble behind him.

Harris was stuffed for 29 yards on 12 carries, and now his streak of three consecutive 100-yard games from a few weeks ago feels like a distant memory. Pat Freiermuth also caught three for 50, his most yards in a game since beating the Jets in Week 7.

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T.J. Watt. This one might be a first. But why sugarcoat it? Watt was held without a sack for the second time in the past three games. He changes game plans, draws a ton of attention, needs to line up especially wide to get the edge and makes life easier for guys like Herbig to make the big play. Lately, though, he hasn’t been overcoming all obstacles to wreck a game.

Myles Garrett did just that on the other side, which further highlighted Watt’s lack of impact on this night. He could start looking like his usual dominant self any week now, but he’s in something of a slump.

Up next

A third AFC North game in a row and second consecutive Ohio road trip, this time to Cincinnati to face a Bengals team that’s 4-7 but with backs against the wall coming off an off week.