By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com

The Steelers fought back from a 21-9 halftime deficit, scoring three second half touchdowns, to defeat the Cleveland Browns 31-28 at Heinz Field. The win improves the Steelers record to 7-2 and gives them sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The loss dropped the Browns record to 5-4.

 

“It is great to get a win against a division opponent this time of year,” said head coach Mike Tomlin. “They are a good football team. I am excited for the guys in the locker room today. We had an opportunity to do something today that we hadn’t done and that was to show our mettle and come from behind and pull it out. We did it.

”It was far from perfect, but usually that is the case. I am proud of those guys and the way they stayed true to the plan, trusted each other and finished the game. The reality is we were good enough to win, so we are not going to apologize for style points.”

 

Ben Roethlisberger engineered the comeback with two key third down runs, one for a touchdown and the other to put the Steelers in scoring position at the two-yard line. Roethlisberger finished the game completing 23 of 34 passes for 278 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception. Roethlisberger also had four rushes for 49 yards.

 

But his biggest play was a 30-yard touchdown run that gave the Steelers their first lead of the game at 24-21. Roethlisberger looked like he was going to slide and go down a few times, but never gave up until he reached the end zone.

 

“A lot of points I was ready to slide,” said Roethlisberger. “I remember I was in the pocket and I heard Alan (Faneca) say, ‘go, go, go, you’re good.’ I started running. I think I surprised the DB as well as I surprised myself. I was ready to slide but I knew I was going to be able to get around him and Hines (Ward) was downfield blocking. When I get close to that end zone, I am trying to get in there. The will to win got me in.”

Willie Parker had 25 carries for 105 yards, including a 31-yard carry. Hines Ward had seven receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Heath Miller had five receptions for 71 yards and a score.

 

Browns running back Jamal Lewis was held to just 35 yards on 16 carries. Browns quarterback Derek Anderson completed 16 passes for only 123 yards and three touchdowns.

 

The Steelers got off to a slow start on offense, going three-and-out on the first possession when a Santonio Holmes reverse resulted in a two-yard loss.

 

Anderson went to work for the Browns and after two incomplete passes, converted on third-and-10 when he hit Joe Jurevicius for a 10-yard gain. Lewis rattled off an 11-yard run, but was held to a one-yard gain on his next carry. Anderson was faced with third-and-nine, and found Kellen Winslow for a 12-yard reception. Anderson kept chipping away, converting on another third down with a six-yard completion to Jurevicius.

 

Anderson capped the 16 play, 71 yard drive, which ate up almost nine minutes, with a four-yard touchdown pass to Winslow to give the Browns a 7-0 lead.

 

The Steelers marched right back down the field, aided by a 31-yard run by Parker to the Browns 13-yard line. They weren’t able to punch it into the end zone and pulled within four at 7-3 on Jeff Reed’s 28-yard field goal.

 

The momentum continued to swing in the Browns favor, though. Joshua Cribbs fielded the ensuing kickoff at the seven-yard line and returned it 90 yards to the Steelers three-yard line. The Browns made it count when Anderson found Lawrence Vickers for a two-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 14-3.

 

Roethlisberger moved the offense down the field with completions to Nate Washington for 11 yards and Miller for 22 yards. But again they had to settle for a field goal, with Reed closing the gap to 14-6 when he hit on a 35-yard attempt.

 

The defense tightened the reigns on the Browns on their next drive, forcing them to punt for the first time in the game at the 6:41 mark in the second quarter.

 

Instead of it being a chance for the Steelers to get back in the game, it turned into a break for the Browns. On the first play of the drive Brodney Pool got in front of the pass intended for Santonio Holmes and intercepted it at the Steelers 21-yard line, returning it three yards to give the Browns great field position at the 18-yard line.

 

James Harrison stripped the ball from Lewis, but Hank Fraley was quick on the recovery for Cleveland. Anderson found Edwards in the end zone, and the play was initially ruled out of bounds.  After review it was ruled Edwards had both feet down and the Browns extended their lead to 21-6.

 

It looked like the Steelers would get right back into the game before halftime as they drove down field thanks to completions to Holmes for seven yards, Ward for 12 yards and Washington for 17 yards. But again they were stopped when they got close. On second down from the five-yard line Roethlisberger’s pass to Ward fell incomplete. Then on third-and-five, all hope of getting the ball in the end zone diminished when Roethlisberger was sacked for a seven-yard loss. Reed came on for his third field goal of the game, this time hitting a 30-yarder sending the Browns into the locker room at halftime up 21-9.

 

The defense picked up the pace in the second half for the Steelers as they stopped the Browns and forced a three-and-out on their opening drive. Unfortunately, it was the same for the Steelers offense as they went nowhere on their first drive and quickly punted the ball away.

 

After exchanging possessions again the Steelers finally had the ball bounce their way. Lewis went up the middle for a four-yard gain but was stripped of the ball by Harrison, and this time the Steelers pounced on it. Ike Taylor came up with the recovery at the Browns 38-yard line.

 

The offense came to life when Roethlisberger hit Ward for a 19-yard completion. On third-and-three he found Ward again, who took it in to the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown, pulling within five at 21-16.

 

The momentum continued to build for the Steelers. After another strong defensive stop, the offense took over at their 34-yard line. Ward pulled in an 18-yard reception at the Browns 42-yard line. After a false start call on the offense, Roethlisberger had a 16-yard completion to Washington to the Browns 30-yard line. Two incomplete passes put the Steelers behind the eight ball, with a third-and-10 at the 30-yard line. Roethlisberger scrambled out of the shotgun and headed up the middle, not giving up until he crossed the goal line to give the Steelers their first lead of the game. The Steelers went for two and converted when Ward pulled in the reception for the 24-21 lead.

 

It didn’t take long, though, for the lead to evaporate. Cribbs muffed the ensuing kickoff return, picked it back up and returned it 100 yards for the touchdown, putting the Browns back on top 28-24.

 

An unfazed Steelers offense took over at their 22-yard line and continued to move the ball. Roethlisberger had back-to-back completions to Holmes for 18 and 15 yards. Roethlisberger then went to Miller for a 10-yard gain. On second-and-seven from the 22-yard line Roethlisberger was sacked for a loss of 11 yards, but got it back with a 20-yard completion to Miller. Roethlisberger came up big again on third down, scrambling for 10 yards to the two-yard line. He capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Miller, to reclaim the lead 31-28.

 

The defense didn’t give the Browns room to do anything, bringing pressure and covering the receivers, forcing a three-and-out.

The Steelers tried to run out the clock, but were unable to convert on third down and put the game back in the hands of their defense, who responded but not letting the Browns get too close. With just seconds on the clock Phil Dawson’s 52-yard field goal was short.