Not many people were giving the Cleveland Browns much of a chance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL playoffs. But within minutes of kickoff, the Browns proved they weren’t to be taken lightly. And as the dust settled on a 48-37 win that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggests, plenty of people took to social media to make fun of the Steelers and celebrate Cleveland’s first playoff win since 1994.
Local Baltimore college UMBC couldn’t help getting in on the fun either. Promoting highlights of their men’s basketball game, UMBC’s Twitter account clowned Pittsburgh for what can only be considered an embarrassing display on national television.
Here’s highlights of a team in black and yellow that actually showed up for its game today https://t.co/NNWU4RoNp8
— UMBC Athletics (@UMBCAthletics) January 11, 2021
With several players and head coach Kevin Stefanski missing from the game due to a COVID-19 outbreak, analysts and fans were rightfully dismissing the Browns in this game. Though the Steelers haven’t looked very good in recent weeks, they usually play tough football and had the postseason experience necessary to be a real threat. Or at least that was the reasoning before the game kicked off.
In the end, Cleveland completely dismantled Pittsburgh. By the end of the first quarter, the Browns had outscored the Steelers 28-0 after a series of mistakes by Pittsburgh, including a fumble returned for a touchdown and two interceptions. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger eventually turned the game into a shootout and should be commended on his effort, finishing the game with 501 passing yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions on 68 pass attempts.
The Browns will now travel to Kansas City to take on the top-seeded Chiefs. There’s optimism Cleveland will get a majority of their staff and players back this week in time to play Sunday. And with the Browns being hot right now, it would be a mistake to underestimate them. If Cleveland and Baltimore both win this weekend, it would set up a third matchup between the teams this season and an all-AFC North AFC Championship Game.
