PITTSBURGH — The energy outside the stadium wasn’t quite a playoff atmosphere, but it did have the vibe of a spectacle. Ben Roethlisberger didn’t exactly give Steelers fans the show they were hoping for in what almost certainly will be his final game in Pittsburgh, but if all that mattered was winning, the result was perfect. The Steelers shut down the Browns, 26-14, Monday night to clinch a non-losing season for the 18th consecutive year, all with Roethlisberger as their franchise quarterback.
In this one, Roethlisberger was mostly inaccurate and ineffective, throwing for just 123 yards on 24-of-46 passing, often wearing his emotions on his sleeve. There was a celebratory first-pump after his 5-yard touchdown throw to Diontae Johnson, but much more frustrated body language as the ball sailed on him in frigid conditions at Heinz Field. His 2.7 yards per pass attempt stand as the lowest mark of his career.
That early score turned out to be much-needed, as the Steelers (8-7-1) had to settle for field goals the rest of the way and the Browns (7-9) were even more impotent on offense. Baker Mayfield was miserable, with 178 yards on 15-of-34 passing, two touchdowns and one interception. Nick Chubb and the Cleveland running game didn’t get much going, and Mayfield was sacked a whopping nine times for 46 yards lost.
It was over when: The torch was passed, from Roethlisberger to his rookie running back. With the Steelers needing just one more down to ice the game, Najee Harris burst through the line of scrimmage for a 37-yard touchdown run that sent out his quarterback in style. Sure, the Browns were staring down a two-score deficit for much of the fourth quarter, but in this particular season, no lead ever seemed safe until the clock struck triple zeroes (the Steelers hadn’t won a game by more than eight points). And on this particular night, the event wasn’t truly over until Roethlisberger’s final bow, even if it came on the sideline as he hugged teammates and soaked in cheers from the 63,000-plus crowd chanting “Thank you, Ben!”
Player of the game: T.J. Watt. With a mind-boggling four sacks, he’s now just one away from tying Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record of 22.5. Rookie right tackle James Hudson simply could not block him, and Mayfield simply could not scramble away quick enough when Watt began closing in. One of those sacks was a bit of a gift from the statistician, but the others were hard-earned, and he’s chasing history next week as well as the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Trending up: J.C. Hassenauer. Making his first start this season at center, in place of rookie Kendrick Green, Hassenauer looked to be an upgrade (at least for now). He was more solid in the run game and held up just fine in pass-protection. Roethlisberger was sacked twice, but Najee Harris rushed for a season-high 188 yards on 28 carries. Green was a fairly high draft pick, a third-rounder in 2021, but at this point in their careers Hassenauer appears to be the better player. If nothing else, it could be a position competition to watch next season (assuming the Steelers don’t draft a center even higher in 2022).
Trending down: Diontae Johnson. In general, it’s been a breakout year for the team’s No. 1 target, and he found the end zone for the second game in a row, but Johnson also struggled with drops for the second straight game. He had one on Roethlisberger’s first attempt of the game and another later on that just seemed to be a lack of concentration, plus a false start penalty that backed up the Steelers on a third-down. Couple those mistakes with his confounding fumble last week in Kansas City and Johnson must finish strong Sunday in Baltimore to make sure he doesn’t end an otherwise stellar campaign on a sour note.
Next up: The regular-season finale, and probably the last game of Roethlisberger’s career, next week in Baltimore.
