Nick Chubb scored a touchdown with 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Browns ended the Pittsburgh Steelers’ streak in Thursday night’s game with a 24-19 victory in heavy snow.
It was Chubb’s first game against the Steelers since the running back suffered a season-ending left knee injury during a rush last year in Pittsburgh.
Trailing 18-6 at one point, the Steelers thought they had turned the tables in a big way by scoring two touchdowns in the span of 1:42, midway through the fourth quarter.
The two-point post-touchdown conversion having failed, however, Pittsburgh found itself a slim priority of one point to defend.
The Browns offensive unit led by Jameis Winston took advantage of an advantageous position on the field to orchestrate a final profitable push, punctuated by a major from Chubb over a distance of two yards.
The Steelers (8-3) saw their five-game winning streak end, while their AFC North division rivals halted a two-game slide with this third victory in 11 games.
Mother Nature had her say in the first half, but it was in the form of rain that she showed up during the first half of the duel.
Upon returning from the locker room, however, snow had begun to pile up on the lawn of Huntington Bank Field, and the players had to deal with this factor for the rest of the evening.
Russell Wilson and his offense benefited from a chance to perform a minor miracle in the final moments of the game. They managed to advance to the Cleveland 44 with 14 seconds on the clock, without being able to gain any further ground.
Wilson’s long pass on the final play was stopped by Browns defensive player Grant Delpit in the end zone, sparking a wild celebration at Huntington Bank Field.
In the midst of a disastrous season, beating the Steelers will certainly have taken the pressure off head coach Kevin Stefanski and given Browns fans something to savor.
