The Cleveland Browns were helped by bad weather and a surprisingly animated crowd to lift the Browns to a 24-19 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers by a snowy Lake Erie.
Nick Chubb rushed for two touchdowns and fifty-nine yards and Jerry Jeudy caught all six passes for eighty-five yards, including several key catches that kept the Browns in the game.
Cleveland improved to 3-8 with the win and have ten days off before visiting the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
Brownie Bits
1) First, this was the type of game that the Browns often found a way to win even in bad seasons.
Short week, bad weather, home field, a good team coming off a big emotional win (Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore last Sunday), and with most harping on a bad game for the Browns in a loss to New Orleans, the Browns were sitting on a shocker.
Just don't think the Browns have turned things around before going to Denver.
2) What I did see was Myles Garrett was going to notch one of those games that he posts a few times a year because he was motivated.
Garrett stated before the game that he felt disrespected by T.J. Watt's actions after Garrett won last season's Defensive Player of the Year award (Watt didn't congratulate Garrett and offered a tweet questioning the decision) and when Garrett is motivated- look out.
Garrett finished with three sacks and five hits on Russell Wilson, Watt never touched Jameis Winston.
I suspect that the stat line will be reversed in the rematch in two games.
3) I'm asked often by Browns and Steelers fans, which one I would take if I had to choose between Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt, and here is my answer.
If you were selecting for one game, both players were motivated and in top form, Myles Garrett is the better player.
If you were selecting the better player to be more productive over a seventeen-game season, I'd take T.J. Watt.
Peak Garrett, consistently great Watt.
4) One had to feel good for Nick Chubb, who rushed for two scores against the team that he was injured against last season.
Chubb still looks a bit tentative in cutting loose in returning from his second major knee injury but he's still running hard.
The jury is still out on Chubb's return to full speed but one can never doubt his willingness to try.
5) The Browns were a miserable one for ten on third down, converting their only success on their final drive.
However, the Browns tried on fourth down on four occasions and converted all four attempts, including Jameis Winston's twisting triple lindy over the goal line in the fourth quarter.
6) One thing about the Browns since the injury to DeShaun Watson has been the improvement in Jerry Jeudy.
Jeudy made two huge catches late in the game to keep drives alive, caught all six passes thrown to him in poor conditions, and has started to look like a solid NFL pass catcher.
7) The Browns secondary had some problems as they gave up three passing plays of thirty yards or more.
Cleveland allowed Calvin Austin to catch all three passes thrown him for seventy-eight yards, including a touchdown.
Greg Newsome appeared to have his problems with George Pickens, especially after the game when the two swapped punches and needed to be separated.
8) The Browns offensive line managed to do a good job in giving Jameis Winston time to throw as Winston was sacked only once.
That sack was key as Nick Herbig beat Germain Ifedi to strip Jameis Winston of the ball and set the Steelers up for a score then gave them the lead but in general, the O-Line was good enough against a good pass-rushing team.
9) The league announced after the game that the Browns scheduled Thursday, December 19th game against Cincinnati had been "flexed" out and moved to the standard Sunday since both teams have disappointing records.
I'd like to say I'm dismayed but I think it was stupid to give the Browns two Thursday games to start with, so no sympathy from me.
10) Finally, let's give some credit to the crowd that showed up.
For a team entering the game at 2-8, awful weather, and their team in chaos, the Browns fans refused to allow the traveling Steeler fans to buy up their tickets as so many fanbases have and take over their stadium.
The fans stayed throughout and were a major factor in the game, hats off to them!
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