PITTSBURGH — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski had plenty to cheer about from his basement.
In one fell swoop, the Browns overcame adversity created by their COVID-19 crisis and exorcised countless demons who have haunted them in Pittsburgh.
With Stefanski home because he tested positive for the virus last week, the Browns used a record-setting first quarter to vault themselves to a 48-37 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in an AFC wild-card playoff game at Heinz Field, where attendance was limited to family and friends of the home team due to pandemic-related restrictions.
The Browns won their first playoff game since Jan. 1, 1995. In other words, it's the franchise's first postseason victory since its rebirth as an expansion team in 1999.
With the dominant showing on NBC's “Sunday Night Football,” the Browns snapped an eight-game road losing streak in the playoffs. They triumphed on the road in the postseason for the first time since Dec. 28, 1969, when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 38-14.
The Browns also earned their first playoff win over the Steelers. Cleveland had been 0-2 all time against Pittsburgh in the postseason.
The Browns snapped a 17-game losing streak in Pittsburgh, triumphing there for the first time since Oct. 5, 2003.
And now the Browns (12-5) will advance to face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round at 3:05 p.m. Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs (14-2) had a wild-card bye because they earned the AFC's top seed. They will host Cleveland because the sixth-seeded Browns are conference's lowest remaining seed. The seventh-seeded Indianapolis Colts lost 27-24 to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Linebacker Sione Takitaki intercepted a pass thrown by Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with 3:16 left in the fourth quarter to essentially seal the Browns' victory. Roethlisberger threw four interceptions in the game, and his starting record against the Browns dropped to 23-3-1. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is now 22-6-1 in the series.
In quarterback Baker Mayfield's NFL playoff debut, he went 21-of-34 passing for 263 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He posted a passer rating of 115.2.
The Browns improved to 9-36-1, including 1-1 in the playoffs, against the Steelers (12-5) in the expansion era.
The Browns defeated the Steelers 24-22 in last week's regular-season finale in Cleveland to end what had been the NFL's longest active playoff drought at 17 seasons. But the Steelers had wrapped up the AFC North title a week earlier and rested Roethlisberger and some of their other star players in Week 17. The Steelers won the first meeting of the season between the two teams in a 38-7 blowout Oct. 18 in Pittsburgh.
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster gave the Browns bulletin-board material on Wednesday, when he told Pittsburgh reporters via Zoom, “I think they’re still the same Browns team I play every year. ... The Browns is the Browns.”
Asked Friday whether the Browns still needed to prove they're not the same team they have been in the past, game captain and All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said, “We’ll have to prove it when we see them on Sunday.” Then on Sunday afternoon, Mayfield revealed he took note of Smith-Schuster's comment by posting a hype video on Instagram with the caption, “Browns is the Browns.”
Appearing in their first playoff game in 18 years, the Browns got off to the best start imaginable and set an NFL playoff record by scoring 28 points in the first quarter. The also tied a team record for the most points in a half of a playoff game, matching the 35 points they scored in the first half of a 56-10 win over the Detroit Lions on Dec. 26, 1954, in Cleveland.
The Oakland Raiders scored 28 points in the opening quarter of a 56-7 postseason win over the Houston Oilers on Dec. 21, 1969, but the Raiders were in the AFL at the time.
The previous Browns record for most points in the first quarter of a playoff game was 14 in the aforementioned blowout win over the Lions late in 1954.
The 28 points by the Browns in the first quarter were as many as they scored in the opening quarter of their previous 13 games combined against the Steelers, according to ESPN Statistics and Information.
The Steelers had three turnovers and a three-and-out on their first four possessions. The Browns capitalized with four touchdowns.
On the first play from scrimmage, Steelers nine-time Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey fired a shotgun snap over the head of Roethlisberger, and Browns safety Karl Joseph recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Browns had a 7-0 lead with 14:46 left in the first quarter – just 14 seconds into the game.
The next series ended with Joseph pressuring Roethlisberger as he threw a pass nickelback M.J. Stewart intercepted and returned 3 yards to the Pittsburgh 46-yard line. On third-and-4, Mayfield threw a short pass over the middle to wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who caught the ball near the 30 against the coverage of cornerback Mike Hilton and ran the rest of the way for a 40-yard touchdown. The Browns went ahead 14-0 with 9:46 left in the first quarter.
The Steelers went three-and-out on their next possession, with safety Ronnie Harrison stopping fullback Derek Watt for no gain on third-and-1 from the Pittsburgh 35.
Six plays later, running back Kareem Hunt capped a 65-yard drive by powering through a collision with linebacker Robert Spillane at the 4 en route to an 11-yard rushing touchdown. The Browns extended their lead to 21-0 with 4:40 left in the first quarter.
Roethlisberger threw his second interception of the game on the next series. Safety Sheldrick Redwine picked off the pass after it was thrown a bit high and deflected off the hands of receiver Diontae Johnson. Redwine returned 30 yards to the Pittsburgh 15.
On third-and-3, Hunt rushed off the left side for an 8-yard touchdown, and the Browns built a 28-0 advantage with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter.
The Browns picked off Roethlisberger a third time when defensive tackle Vincent Taylor batted a pass near the line of scrimmage, and defensive end Porter Gustin dived to intercept it at the Cleveland 47 with 10:11 left in the second quarter.
For the first time in the game, the Browns failed to score off the turnover. The Steelers then found some life and produced a 13-play, 89-yard scoring drive. Running back James Conner finished the march by rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, and the Steelers cut their deficit 28-7 with 1:44 left in the second quarter.
But the Browns answered the Steelers' first score of the game with a nine-play, 64-yard touchdown drive. Mayfield's 7-yard scoring strike to wide-open tight end Austin Hooper finished the march and allowed the Browns to seize a 35-7 advantage with 34 seconds left in the second quarter.
Chris Boswell made a 49-yard field goal at the end of a five-play, 37-yard drive as the first half concluded, and the Steelers trailed by 25 points.
The Steelers cut the Browns' lead to 35-16 on their first possession of the second half. Roethlisberger's 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Eric Ebron capped an eight-play, 84-yard drive, but Roethlisberger threw incomplete on the ensuing 2-point attempt.
After a three-and-out by the Browns, the Steelers continued to rally with a 12-play, 68-yard scoring drive. On fourth-and-goal, Roethlisberger threw a 5-yard touchdown to Smith-Schuster against the coverage of Steward in the end zone. Boswell made the extra point, cutting the Steelers' deficit to 35-23 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.
Instead of allowing the game to become more tense, the Browns countered. On second-and-10, Mayfield threw a screen pass to Nick Chubb, and the running back rumbled for a 40-yard touchdown to finish a six-play, 80-yard drive and allow the Browns to produce a 42-23 lead with 12:32 left in the fourth quarter.
Without hesitation, the Steelers fired back. Roethlisberger's 29-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Chase Claypool completed a four-play, 76-yard drive with 11:08 left in the fourth quarter. Stewart broke up a pass from Roethlisberger on a failed 2-point attempt, and the Steelers trailed 42-29.
The Browns answered with Cody Parkey's 24-yard field goal, which extended their lead to 45-29 with 4:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Hooper dropped a pass in the end zone one player earlier during the 13-play, 59-yard drive.
The Browns went ahead 48-29 when Parkey made a 37-yard field goal with 2:51 left in the fourth quarter four plays after Takitaki's clutch interception.
The Steelers narrowed their defifit to 48-37 with Roethlisberger's 7-yard touchdown pass to Claypool and Roethlisberger's successful 2-point pass to Conner with 1:09 left to play.
But tight end Stephen Carlson recovered the ensuing onside kick to end it.
The Browns conquered a long list of pandemic-related challenges to prevail.
They were without Stefanski, four players and four assistant coaches due to COVID-19. Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer served as the acting head coach, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt called the plays in place of Stefanski. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan was among the unavailable assistants.
Three-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio, cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge were out, too. Guard Michael Dunn made his first NFL start because of Bitonio's absence. Cornerback Robert Jackson made his second start because Ward remained idle.
Because of the Browns' COVID-19 crisis, the NFL didn't let them practice until Friday. The club normally practices Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the buildup to a Sunday game.
Yet the Browns celebrated in the end.
