PITTSBURGH _ For the third straight game, the Steelers staged a double-digit comeback to win.
On Sunday, it took overtime for a skeleton crew to defeat the bumbling Cleveland Browns, 27-24, at Heinz Field.
Landry Jones threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Cobi Hamilton with 2:57 left in overtime for the winning score.
With the No. 3 playoff seed locked up, the outcome of the game meant nothing to the Steelers' postseason position. They will open the playoffs next weekend against the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field.
The Browns won the toss in overtime, and it took them 17 plays to go 65 yards to score on Cody Parkey's 34-yard field goal with 7:17 left. This, after Cleveland had a first down at the Steelers' 2.
That field goal allowed the Steelers their chance in overtime, and they drove 75 yards on nine plays to win it.
The victory, their seventh in a row, left the AFC North Division champs with an 11-5 record. Cleveland finished 1-15.
Jones threw two other touchdown passes, including an 11-yarder to rookie Demarcus Ayers with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter that put the Steelers ahead for the first time, 21-14. But the Browns struck back quickly to tie it after Isaiah Crowell's 67-yard run to the five. George Atkinson scored from there to tie it back up 21-21.
Earlier, Jones threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to DeAngelo Williams, who also scored on a 1-yard run for the Steelers. Robert Griffin III threw two touchdown passes to tight ends in the first half.
The Browns had a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown nullified when replay showed that Darius Heyward-Bey forced a fumble into the end zone by rookie Briean Boddy-Calhoun late in the third quarter.
The touchback not only gave the Steelers the ball at the 20, it began a drive in which they tied the game 14-14 early in the fourth quarter, culminating with Williams' 1-yard run.
Jarvis Jones started for James Harrison at right outside linebacker, one of a handful of veteran Steelers sitting out this one. Others included Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Maurkice Pouncey. Stephon Tuitt, Ladarius Green and Robert Golden were previously ruled out with injuries.
The Browns scored a touchdown on their second series, which lasted eight plays and covered 55 yards. Griffin threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to rookie Seth DeValve for the score and a 7-0 Cleveland lead.
The scored again in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead when Griffin threw his second touchdown pass, of four yards to tight end Gary Barnidge.
The Browns were driving toward a possible third score when Ryan Shazier intercepted Griffin at the one.
With 2:06 to go in the half and a first down at the Steelers 47, Griffin could not field a high snap from rookie center Anthony Fabiano and Sean Davis recovered at the Cleveland 37.
That opened the door to allow Jones' 11-yard touchdown pass to Williams, who cut nicely inside for the score with 31 seconds left in the first half.
The Steelers lowest sack total allowed in a 16-game season is 20, in 1986 and 1997. With four sacks of Jones on Sunday, they now have allowed 21 this season.
