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PITTSBURGH — Nicely JuJu, these actually aren’t the identical outdated Browns anymore.
As if the Browns wanted any extra motivation to march into Heinz Area and beat the Steelers for the primary time since 2003, Pittsburgh receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster disrespected them throughout the week, inspiring them to play with their hair on fireplace and take the ball away 5 occasions Sunday en path to a 48-37 victory over the Steelers.
By the point it was over, they’d picked off Ben Roethlisberger — who threw for 501 yards — 4 occasions and gained the turnover battle 5-0. He additionally threw 4 TDs.
The victory — of their first playoff recreation for the reason that 2002 season and their first playoff victory for the reason that 1994 season — earned them a visit to the divisional spherical subsequent week in Kansas Metropolis in opposition to the defending Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs (14-2).
The sport is Sunday at 3:05 p.m. on CBS.
The blowout was achieved with their head coach Kevin Stefanski caught in his basement with COVID-19 and never having any sense of style or odor, and particular groups coach Mike Priefer, who was born in Cleveland and grew up a Browns fan, serving within the position of head coach.
If all goes properly, Stefanski can be again on the sideline subsequent Sunday in Kansas Metropolis.
The Browns had one follow all week, on Friday, and an in-person walkthrough Saturday earlier than heading to Pittsburgh.
“I actually need to congratulate our followers. I’m one among them, so I do know what it means,” Priefer mentioned after the victory. “That was an ideal workforce win. We performed in all three phases, and that was an enormous win for our workforce and for our metropolis.
“I informed these guys I love them a lot. I respect them. That they had a lot adversity when it comes to schedule modifications — they by no means batted a watch. They took each assembly so severely. … As coaches, we have been in all probability a litlte extra involved they they have been. .. That they had a ton of resilency they usually’ve carried out all of it 12 months lengthy.”
How do we all know that Smith-Schuster’s phrases fired up the Browns?
Browns defensive finish Myles Garrett vowed on Friday that they’d exit and show him fallacious.
Then about 4 1/2 hours earlier than the sport, Baker Mayfield (3 TDs, 0 INTs) posted a message on Instagram, “Browns is the Browns,’’ a snippet of the receiver’s inflammatory quote, by which he mentioned, “They’re nonetheless the identical Browns that I’ve performed yearly. I believe they’re anonymous grey faces. They’ve a few good gamers on their workforce. However on the finish of the day … the Browns is the Browns. ….I’m simply comfortable we’re taking part in them once more.”
“It wasn’t about that, particularly,” Mayfield mentioned his “Browns is the Browns” response earlier Sunday. “It’s the identical quote, yeah, however we imagine within the folks on this room it doesn’t matter what. … We knew that everyone was counting us out. We knew what mentality we have been going to have, and that was to chop it free and provides it all the pieces we had.”
By no means thoughts that the Browns have been with out 4 gamers — together with beginning left guard Joel Bitonio and cornerback Denzel Ward — and 4 assistant coaches due to the virus.
Additionally they misplaced proper deal with Jack Conklin to a hamstring damage within the second quarter. After which Michael Dunn, Bitonio’s substitute who was elevated from the follow squad Saturday, was harm within the second half. He was changed by Blake Hance, signed by the Browns final weekend from the Jets’ follow squad.
“Michael bought harm and a man named Blake who I actually launched myself to earlier than the sport stepped up within the fourth quarter,” Mayfield mentioned in a postgame interview with NBC.
The Browns, who hadn’t gained a playoff recreation since a 20-13 victory over Patriots within the wild card spherical after the 1994 season, got here into the sport with the mantra of “We Need Extra’’ and their message was loud and clear that making the playoffs wasn’t what they got here for.
On Friday, Garrett served seen to the Steelers that “these guys are hungry, and we’re going to take it to them.”
And so they did simply that, with Karl Joseph recovering middle Maurkice Pouncey’s airmailed snap ultimately zone on the primary play of the sport to make it 7-0 simply 14 seconds into the sport. Take that, JuJu. Take that 17-game dropping streak in Pittsburgh. Take that Large Ben, who was 23-2-1 in opposition to the Browns.
By the point the primary quarter was over, the Browns had scored an NFL playoff-record 28 factors thanks to 2 extra takeaways. One was an M.J. Stewart interception and 30-yard return on their second drive that led to a 40-yard Jarvis Landry catch and run for a TD; the opposite a Sheldrick Redwine decide on a tipped ball later within the quarter that led to a bruising 8-yard Kareem Hunt that made it 28-0.
However the Browns had yet one more takeaway left in them within the first half, an interception by Porter Gustin off a batted cross by Vincent Taylor. The Browns, who already had misplaced Conklin by then, didn’t rating any factors off that third interception, however why get grasping, proper?
The Steelers lastly bought on the scoreboard with 1:44 left on a 1-yard run by James Conner, however Mayfield stormed again with a 7-yard TD cross to Austin Hooper to make it 35-7 earlier than Chris Boswell nailed a 49-yarder as time expired to trim the deficit to 35-10.
The 35 factors tied a Browns document for many factors in any half of a playoff recreation.
After all, no lead is ever protected in Pittsburgh or with Large Ben on the helm, and he threw two third-quarter landing passes, a 17-yarder to Eric Ebron and a 5-yarder to Smith-Schuster that trimmed the deficit to 35-23 with 2:57 left within the third the may’ve even had Stefanski on the top of his sofa.
The Browns went three-and-out on their subsequent possession, however Mike Tomlin opted to punt on fourth and 1 from his 46 on the primary play of the fourth quarter, a questionable choice. The Steelers dedicated a delay on the punt attempting to attract the Browns offside — and the Browns went for the jugular on the following drive.
Jarvis Landry caught two huge passes after which Nick Chubb caught a brief cross and rumbled over defenders for a 40-yard landing that made it 42-23 with 12:32 left within the recreation.
However Roethlisberger fired his approach down the sphere, finishing a 25-yard cross to Smith-Schuster and a 29-yard TD cross to Chase Claypool to shut to inside 42-29 with 11:08 left. The 2-point cross failed.
Priefer implored the Browns to not let the Steelers again within the recreation within the second half, they usually saved their foot on the fuel till the very finish. They kicked a 24-yard discipline objective with 4:28 left to cap a 13-play drive and make it 45-29.
Priefer mentioned he was impressed with how Mayfield saved pumping up the offensive gamers on the sideline because the Steelers tried to shut the margin.
“That man has bought a tremendous quantity of self-worth, in a great way,” Priefer mentioned. “I really like the way in which he handles adversity. When Pittsburgh began coming again, and we knew they’d, each time they scored or bought a great drive, Baker’s on the sideline speaking to the offense, the offensive line, getting them prepared.
“The best way he responded when Pittsburgh was coming again within the second half, it was extraordinarily spectacular.”
Mayfield referred to as the win a “stepping stone” to the place the Browns need to go.
“No one right here is glad but,” Mayfield mentioned. “… There’s a brand new customary and we’re going to attempt to hold it that approach.”
Sione Takitaki picked off Roethlisberger for the fourth time with 3:16 left, and the Browns made it 48-29 earlier than the Steelers closed to inside 11 with a late TD cross.
Stefanski set the tone for the week by reminding his gamers on Monday that “these 14 groups which are in it need to win a Tremendous Bowl.” Little did he know he’d check optimistic for COVID-19 the next day together with 4 others and must miss the sport. However the Browns rallied with Priefer as their appearing head coach and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt as their playcaller, they usually took it to the Steelers proper from the beginning.
Conklin made it clear that the Browns “need to win a Tremendous Bowl and convey that to Cleveland.”
Now they’ll proceed to attempt to do exactly that.
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