NFL 2020-2021 Wildcard Recap
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills was the Saturday morning game. The 11-5 Colts were a Wildcard taking on the 13-3 AFC East champion Bills. In the first quarter the Colts faced 3rd and 6 from their own 40. Philip Rivers hit TY Hilton for 23 and Pittman for 22. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 12, a completion gained nothing. Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Bills took over at their own 15. Josh Allen gained 12. Allen then went to Stefan Diggs for 36, Davis for 16, Devon Singletary for 5, Moss for 7, and Knox for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bills. In the second quarter the Colts took over at their own 35. Jonathan Taylor gained 10 and 8. On 3rd and 4 just past midfield, Rivers hit Taylor for 6, Pittman for 32, Jacob Doyle for 2, and Nyheim Hines for 8 down to the one. Jacoby Brissett came in at quarterback for one play and took the quarterback sneak for the touchdown and the 10-7 Colts lead. The turning point in the game came when the Colts moved from their own 41 to a 3rd and goal at the one at the 2 minute warning. Taylor got the carry and got blown up for a 3 yard loss. Frank Reich inexplicably went for it on 4th and goal at the 4 rather than kick the 22 yard field goal. Rivers went to the end zone and the ball was just barely overthrown, bouncing off of Pittman’s outstretched fingerprints incomplete.
The Bills were at their own 4 yard line with 1:46 to play against a good defense that was smelling upset. Allen went deep to Davis for a 37 yard gain. Allen then went to Cole Beasley for 7 and back to Davis for 19. Sean McDermott decided to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Indianapolis 26 with 37 seconds left. Allen went to the end zone and was intercepted by Rodgers. Yet defensive offside nullified the turnover. From the 21, Allen went to the end zone again and was intercepted by Rodgers again. Although everyone thought Rodgers was down, no whistle blew. He got up and raced 104 yards for a defensive touchdown. Officials ruled that Rodgers was down by contact in his own end zone for a touchback. Then on further review, Rodgers dropped the ball. After all of that, it was only an incompletion. Allen then ran for 16 and again for the 5 yard touchdown. With 14 seconds left in the half, the 10 play, 96 yard drive had the Bills up 14-10.
The Bills began the third quarter facing 3rd and 8 from their own 30. Allen went to Beasley for 10 and 13 and Diggs for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Indy 23, Allen was sacked for a 5 yard loss. Tyler Bass hit the 46 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Bills. After a touchback the Colts moved 60 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Yet on 2nd and 7 from the Buffalo 15, Rivers threw incomplete twice. Blankenship doinked the 33 yard field goal try off the upright no good. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 32. Allen hit Diggs for 3, Moss for 10, Beasley for 4, and Moss for 7. Allen then went to Diggs for a 35 yard touchdown as the Bills now led 24-10 only one minute into the fourth quarter.
After a touchback, Hines ran for 29 and Taylor gained 20. Rivers went to Zach Pascal for 11 and Mo Alie-Cox for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 9, Rivers went to Pascal for the touchdown. Frank Reich inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion. Taylor got stopped. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Colts were within 24-16. After a touchback, Allen hit Diggs and Beasley for 16 each. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 36, Allen threw incomplete. After pretending to go for it and failing to get the Colts to jump, Sean McDermott opted for a 54 yard field goal try. Bass delivered and the Bills had breathing room up 27-16 midway through the fourth quarter. Needing 2 scores, the Colts struck quickly. On 3rd and 7 from their own 27, Rivers hit Burton for 13. Hines ripped off a 33 yard gain. Rivers went deep to Doyle for a 27 yard touchdown. This time the 2 point conversion was good. With 6:13 to play, the Colts were right back in it down by a field goal.
Rather than run the ball, the Bills stayed aggressive. They moved from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 34 with 4 minutes left. A touchdown would ice the game. Then disaster struck the Bills. Allen was about to be sacked. He somehow escaped but was then sacked again for an even bigger loss. Even worse, he fumbled. A mad scramble ensued as the ball was batted backward. The Colts were hoping to pick it up and return it for a touchdown. The Bills were saved when big offensive lineman Williams recovered it. Nevertheless, it was a 23 yard loss. The Bills punted and the Colts got the ball back at their own 14 without a timeout but with a full 2 1/2 minutes left. With 50 seconds left after 3 incompletions, the Colts faced 4th and 10 at their own 37. Then chaos ensued. Rivers hit Pascal for 17, but Pascal then got up without being touched and had the ball stripped away. The Bills recovered, but after a very lengthy review, Pascal was ruled down by contact. The officials blew the call. Pascal was not down. With 28 seconds remaining on 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 45, Rivers threw a completion that lost a yard followed by 2 more incompletions. With 4 seconds left, a 65 yard field goal try was too much to ask. The Hail Mary was knocked down incomplete and the Bills survived. 27-24 Bills
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks was the Saturday afternoon game. 2 weeks ago these teams were playing a 6-6 third quarter slugfest in Seattle before the Seahawks eventually won 20-9. Jared Goff injured his thumb in that game and missed the regular season finale. Sean McVay went with backup John Wolford to start this game for the 10-6 Rams against the 12-4 NFC West champion Seahawks. The Rams moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 20. Wolford gained 2 and was then hit in the head. He left the game injured. Goff had to play the rest of the game with an injured thumb in a gutty performance. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 15, Goff was sacked. Matt Gay hit a 40 yard field goal to cap the 12 play, 58 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 3-0 Rams. A field position game in the second quarter had the Seahawks taking over just shy of midfield. On 2nd and 6 from the Rams 37, an incompletion was followed by Russell Wilson gaining only 5. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 32, Pete Carroll decided not to gamble. Jason Myers hit the 50 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. After a touchback, Goff went deep to Cooper Kupp for a 44 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 20, a run lost a yard. Gay hit from 39 to make it 6-3 Rams midway through the second quarter.
After a touchback, the Seahawks soon faced 2nd and 7 from their own 47. Wilson threw a short swing pass, and Williams jumped the route. The cornerback intercepted the ball and strutted 42 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 13-3 Rams lead. From his own 26, Wilson quickly rebounded. From his own 36, Wilson gained 17. On 2nd and 14 just shy of midfield, Wilson rolled out and went bombs away to DK Metcalf for a 51 yard touchdown. With 3:43 left in the half the Seahawks were within 13-10. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Goff connected with Akers, who escaped to the sideline, somehow stayed inbounds, and gained 44 yards. Akers then ran for 20 and again for the 5 yard touchdown. Just past the 2 minute warning, the Rams had the 20-10 lead.
The Seahawks got a jolt when they returned the second half kickoff 58 yards to the Rams 41. Yet on 3rd and 3, Wilson went deep incomplete. Myers drilled the 52 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 20-13. The Rams returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to their own 41. Yet on 3rd and 6, Goff was sacked. The defenses dug in and the Rams took over late in the third quarter at their own 30. Goff hit Robert Woods for 20 to midfield. The Rams moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 19. A run gained the first down, but Sean McVay called a timeout before the play because the play clock was about to expire. The mistake was costly as Malcolm Brown got the carry on the do-over and only gained one yard. This time McVay took no chances on the road on 4th and 1. Gay drilled the 36 yard field goal to give the Rams breathing room up 23-13 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Chris Carson got stopped cold. Pete Carroll gambled on 4th and 1, but a false start killed the try. On 4th and 6 Carroll punted with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Rams faced 3rd and 1 from their own 29. Brown got stopped and Sean McVay immediately deep in his own territory opted to punt. Johnny Hekker had a short punt that kept rolling and bouncing and DJ Reed should have let it go. Instead Reed fielded it and had it stripped. The Rams fell on it at the Seattle 36 with a chance midway through the fourth quarter to deliver the knockout blow. Goff up to this point had only thrown 17 passes all game, completing 7 of them for far less than 100 yards. Rather than just grind down clock, McVay got aggressive. Goff hit Brown for 9. Brown ran for a pair of 6 yard gains. Goff then executed a perfect play action pass and found a wide open Woods for a 15 yard touchdown. With 4:46 left in regulation the Rams had a commanding 30-13 lead.
Needing 3 scores from their own 24, Wilson quickly moved the Seahawks 76 yards Wilson hit DK Metcalf for a 12 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 10 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Seahawks still had all 3 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning. The onside kick failed. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 43, Brown got the carry and appeared just short of the sticks. A very generous spot gave him a first down by the nose of the ball, effectively ending the game. A desperate Pete Carroll challenged the spot and won, making it 4th and inches. An attempt to draw the Seahawks offside failed and the clock hit the 2 minute warning to give the Rams time to think it over. McVay again gambled and Goff’s quarterback sneak appeared bottled up. The Seahawks were barely alive with 1:55 left. They still had one timeout left. From their own 40, Wilson was immediately sacked as the Seahawks took their last timeout. A throw past the marker was dropped. A deep ball was well defended incomplete. On 4th and 15 from their own 35, Wilson was sacked again. Goff was only 9 of 19 for 155 yards with one touchdown, but with zero interceptions in a gutty effort with an injured thumb. Wilson was an awful 11 of 27 for 174 yards, most of it with the game out of reach. Wilson had 2 touchdowns and one killer interception. Wilson was sacked 5 times. 30-20 Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington 7-9ers was the Saturday night game. With Dwayne Haskins cut and Alex Smith injured, Taylor Heinecke got the start. Tom Brady after 19 straight playoff trips with New England took the 11-5 Buccaneers to the playoffs in his first season with them. The Non-Redskins were 7-9, which was good enough to win the NFC Least. The Buccaneers easily moved from their own 19 to a 3rd and 3 at the Washington 11. Brady threw incomplete. Ryan Succop hit a 29 yard field goal for a 3-0 Buccaneers lead. The No-Names moved from their 14 to their 47. Heinecke was intercepted to give the Buccaneers the ball at their own 42. On 3rd and 10, Brady went to Miller for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the washington 36, Brady went deep to Antonio Brown for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Buccaneers led 9-0.
After a touchback, the Non-Redskins tried to make a game of it. Heinecke hit Logan Thomas for 24 and Terry McLaurin for 18. Heinecke ran for 10. The No-Names faced 3rd and 8 at the Tampa 19 to start the second quarter. Heinecke went to Sims for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, McKissic got in to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and get the No-Names within 9-7 early in the second quarter. Riverboat Ron Rivera tried a surprise onside kick that was more of a squib kick. It was recovered by the Buccaneers at their own 39. Brown took an end around 22 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 27, Brady hit Leonard Fournette for 5 and then went to Chris Godwin for the 27 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Buccaneers led 15-7. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 13 and moved easily. Brady hit Fournette for 22 and Cameron Brate for 19 and 24. At the 2 minute warning, the Buccaneers had 2nd and goal at the 5. Brady threw incomplete twice. Succop hit from 23 to make it 18-7 Buccaneers.
The No-Names tried to make a game of it from their own 30 in the third quarter. Heinecke hit McLaurin for 12 and Thomas for 29. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa 18, Heinecke threw incomplete. Dustin Hopkins hit the 36 yard field goal to get the Non-Redskins within 18-10. The Buccaneers moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 44. Vaughn gained 6 but had the ball punched out. The 7-9ers recovered at their own 39. Heinecke ran for 13. On the next play a defensive horse collar tackle added 15. On 2nd and 4 from the Tampa 7, a run lost a yard. On 3rd and 5, Heinecke scrambled, got around the end, and from the 4 yard line dove all the way in the air as the ball hit the pylon for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the 7-9ers were only down 18-16 late in the third quarter.
The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Brady went to Brate for 23 and mike Evans for 17 as the Buccaneers began the fourth quarter facing 1st and 10 at the Washington 23. On 2nd and 2 from the Washington 15, Brady was sacked. On 3rd and 7 he threw incomplete. Succop hit from 38 to put the Buccaneers up 21-16 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers quickly got it back at their own 31. Brady hit Evans for 20. Fournette ran for 7 and Miller added 8. Brady went to Evans for 19. Fournette ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 28-16 Buccaneers with 9 minutes remaining. After a touchback, Heinecke hit Sprinkle for 8 and Sims for 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 33, Heinecke hit Thomas for 5 and McLaurin for 16. On 3rd and 10 from the Tampa 11, Heinecke threw a perfect fade to Sims for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the No-Names were within 28-23.
The Buccaneers took over at their own 23. Brady went deep to Evans for 35. Fournette gained 13. The No-Names took their timeouts on defense. On 2nd and 9 from the Washington 26, Brady was sacked for a 9 yard loss. On 3rd and 18, Brady hit Godwin for 16. Bruce Arians took no chances on 4th and 2. Succop hit the 37 yard field goal to put the Buccaneers up by 8 with 2:50 to play. The No-Names were very much alive. After a touchback, Heinecke went to McLaurin for 16 and Sims for 10. On both plays the Buccaneers committed defensive holding, which was declined. The penalties kept stopping the clock. On 2nd and 10, a pass was caught and fumbled out of bounds. Yet officials called it an incomplete pass. The No-Names were out of timeouts so Ron Rivera could not challenge the call. On 3rd and 10, the pocket collapsed and Hence was sacked for an 11 yard loss. At the 2 minute warning the No-Names faced 4th and 21 from their own 40. Heniecke escaped the pressure, backpedaled, and threw a Hail Mary that fell incomplete. The 4th string quarterback took the 6 time Super Bowl champion to the limit, but Brady won his first playoff game with the Buccaneers. 31-23 Buccaneers
Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans was the Sunday morning game. Both teams were 11-5 but the Ravens were a Wildcard and the Titans were the AFC South champions. Last year in the playoffs the 10-6 Titans shocked the 14-2 Ravens. This year the Titans beat the Ravens again. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Eddie George and Steve McNair brought America smashmouth playoff games, and now that tradition has returned. The first quarter belonged to the Titans. On 3rd and 3 from their own 37, Ryan Tannehill went deep to AJ Brown for 28. On 2nd and 11 from the Baltimore 36, Tannehill went to Brown for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 16, Tannehill hit Anthony Firkser for 9. Tannehill went to Brown for the 10 yard touchdown as the officials missed offensive pass interference. The 10 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-0 Titans. 3 plays later Lamar Jackson went deep and was intercepted. The Titans took over at their own 28. On 3rd and 1 from their own 37 and everyone expecting Derrick Henry, Tannehill connected with Firkser for a 35 yard gain. On 2nd and 9 from the Baltimore 27, a completion gained nothing followed by an incompletion. Stephen Gostkowski hit the 45 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Titans.
Then momentum shifted. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Jackson went deep to Andrews for 17 as the first quarter ended. The Ravens moved all the way to a 3rd and 6 at the Tennessee 10. Jackson was sacked. Justin Tucker hit the 33 yard field goal to cap the 12 play, 60 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and get the Ravens within 10-3 with 10 minutes left in the half. The Ravens got it back at their own 18. Jackson hit Brown for 9 and Edwards ran for 8. Brown ran for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Tennessee 48, Jackson scrambled through and around everyone. He dove for the pylon and got the touchdown for a 10-10 deadlock with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Ravens began the third quarter at their own 23. Jackson hit Ricard for 11 and Andrews for 4. Jackson ran for 10 and JK Dobbins added 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 44, Jackson ran for 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 13, Jackson hit Ricard for 9. Dobbins ran for the 4 yard touchdown as the 10 play, 77 yard, 6 minute drive gave the Ravens their first lead up 17-10.
Late in the third quarter the Titans took over at their own 42. Tannehill hit Brown for 18 with 15 more added on for roughing the passer. Tannehill hit Westbrook for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 5, a pass from Tannehill to Henry lost 2 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Gostkowski hit from 25 to get the Titans within 17-13. After a touchback the Raven moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Titans 34. Jackson threw incomplete twice. From 52 yards out, Tucker was no good. The Titans moved from their own 42 to a 2nd and 2 at the Baltimore 40. Tannehill threw incomplete twice. Mike Vrabel opted to punt. The Ravens took over at their own 15. Dobbins ran for 12. Jackson hit Brown for 9 and Andrews for 17. Jackson ran for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Titans 31, Edwards only gained 4. John Harbaugh gambled on 4th and 2. Jackson hit Dobbins for 3 but offensive pass interference instead meant 4th and 12. This time Tucker hit from 51 as the Ravens led 20-13 with 4 1/2 minutes left.
The Titans on 3rd and 1 from their own 30 gave it to Henry and he got stopped. On 4th and 1, Tannehill took the quarterback sneak for 2. At the 2 minute warning, the Titans had 2nd and 5 at their own 37. Tannehill then went deep over the middle and was intercepted. Marcus Peters returned it 13 yards to the Titans 47, but a taunting penalty on the Ravens after the play backed them up to their own 38. With 1:50 left, the Titans still had all 3 timeouts. Rather than run the ball, the Ravens inexplicably passed on 1st down, an incompletion that stopped the clock. On 2nd and 10, Jackson broke free, gained 33 yards, and smartly gave himself up inbounds to force the Titans to take their 1st timeout. The Titans took their final timeout with the Ravens facing 3rd and 1 at the Tennessee 20 with 1:25 left. Gus Edwards got the carry and bulldozed over the Tennessee defense for 5 yards. Jackson took a knee to end it. After losing 2 playoff games at home, Jackson silenced the critics by getting his first playoff win on the road. Jackson’s critics have been tough on him, but he left the field without shaking hands with anyone. Perhaps realizing his error, he returned to the field. This was a tough, physical win typical of a game between Baltimore and Tennessee. 20-13 Ravens
Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints was the Sunday afternoon game. The 8-8 Bears staggered into the playoffs and took on the 12-4 NFC South champion Saints who had all their top talent back on the field from injury and COVID. In a bizarre new TV venture, the game was simulcast on Nickelodeon. The Saints took over at their own 45. Drew Brees hit Harris for 9. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 39, Brees hit Harris for 17. Brees hit Michael Thomas for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. The Bears took over at their own 20. Mitchell Trubisky hit Kmet for 9. Trubisky then went deep to Sims for a 28 yard gain. On the next play Matt Nagy went to the bag of tricks. Trubisky lateraled to Montgomery, who lateraled it to Cordarelle Patterson, who pitched it back to Trubisky, who went bombs away to Wims for what should have been a 40 yard touchdown. Wims dropped it. It was right in his hands. He just dropped it. On 4th and 4 from the Saints 34, Matt Nagy went for it rather than try a 52 yard field goal. Trubisky scramble around the end but only gained 2 yards. The second quarter began with Wil Lutz missing a 50 yard field goal that would have extended the lead.
The Saints got it back at their own 16. From his own 27, Brees went for the bomb and had the ball stripped just as he threw it. It was plucked out of the air by big man John Jenkins at the Saints 24. On 2nd and 6 from the Saints 10, a completion gained only one yard. Then a killer unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the late had the Bears facing 3rd and 20. It was a bad call. Kmet flipped the ball to the referee, but since the defender was in the area, it was treated as throwing the ball at the defender. After a false start, Cairo Santos hit the 36 yard field goal to get within 7-3 midway through the second quarter. The defenses dug in. In the third quarter the Saints faced 3rd and 4 from their own 21. Brees went to Thomas for a 38 yard gain. Brees then went to Cook, who broke through tackles for a 10 yard gain. A false start had the Saints facing 3rd and 14 from the Chicago 24. Brees went to Cook for 12. Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 2 rather than try an easy 30 yard field goal. The Bears bit on the hard count and jumped into the neutral zone. It was a killer penalty as Brees hit Latavius Murray for a 6 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 85 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Saints up 14-3 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Saints got it back and soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 40. Brees hit Kamara for 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 44, Brees hit Harris for 5. On 3rd and 11 from the Chicago 40, Brees hit Humphrey, who juked out defenders for a 14 yard gain. Brees then hit Cook for 12. On 2nd and goal at the 5, Brees was sacked for a 14 yard loss. Yet defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 2. On 2nd and goal at the 2, Hill threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. After a loss, Kamara ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The Bears defense hung tough for most of the game, but the Saints finally broke them with a 15 play, 64 yard drive that consumed nearly 9 minutes. With 9 minutes left in regulation the Saints finally broke the defense to lead 21-3. The Saints got it back at their own 32. and moved to a 4th and goal at the one. Brees did not get in, but the goal line stand came with only 2 1/2 minutes left. Chicago finally got a garbage touchdown on the final play of the game. The Saints will host Tampa in the divisional round. 21-9 Saints
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. The 11-5 Wildcard Browns took on the 12-4 AFC North champion Steelers. The Browns last made the playoffs in 2002 and last won a playoff game in 1994. The Steelers started 11-0 before going 1-4 down the stretch, although their loss to Cleveland in the regular season finale came with backups. The Browns would have to win this game without a coach, as Kevin Stefanski was out with COVID. The Steelers were supposed to easily win. On the very first play of the game after a touchback, the Steelers lined up in the shotgun. Perennial Pro Bowler Maurice Pouncey snapped the ball high over Ben Roethlisberger’s head. A wild scramble ensued. The Browns recovered in the end zone for a 7-0 Browns lead only 14 seconds into the game. After a touchback the Steelers moved to a 1st and 10 at their own 48. Roethlisberger went back to pass and under heavy pressure threw a high pass over the middle that was intercepted by MJ Stewart. The Browns took over at the Pittsburgh 46. On 3rd and 4 Baker Mayfield fired over the middle to Jarvis Landry, who broke a couple bad attempts at tackles for a 40 yard touchdown as the Browns had the shocking 14-0 lead.
The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 35. Derek Watt got the carry and got stopped cold. The Browns got it back at their own 35 and Nick Chubb gashed the Pittsburgh defense for gains of 17 and 20. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 23, Mayfield hit Higgins for 12. Karim Hunt took it up the gut and smacked right into and over Pittsburgh defenders for an 11 yard touchdown and a 21-0 Browns lead. After a touchback and an offensive holding penalty, the Steelers faced 2nd and 20 from their own 26. Roethlisberger threw a high pass that was deflected and intercepted by Redwine. Redwine weaved through traffic and returned the interception 30 yards to the Pittsburgh 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 8 out of the shotgun, Hunt went off tackle and found a seam and got in the end zone. In an absolute shocker, the Browns led 28-0 and there were still 2 minutes left in the first quarter.
The 28 points were the most points in an NFL playoff game opening quarter by one team in league history.
In the second quarter the Steelers got the ball back at their own 46. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 46, Big Ben had a pass deflected high in the air. Gustin made a diving interception as the Browns took over at their own 47. On 2nd and 11 Mayfield somehow escaped a sack and hit Austin Hooper for 16. However, offensive holding nullified the play and instead meant 2nd and 21. A pass close to the sticks to Hooper was dropped. Hunt gained 13. On 4th and 8, a field goal try would be 53 yards. After failing to get the defense to jump offside, the Browns punted.
The Steelers got it back at their own 11. On 3rd and 1 from their 20, Bennie Snell gained 2 the hard way. Roethlisberger hit Washington for big gains of 17, 10 and 27, James Conner for 7, Diontae Johnson for 6, Washington for 4 and Eric Ebron for 5 to set up 3rd and 1 at the Cleveland 2. Roethlisberger threw high and incomplete as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 1 from the 2 out of the shotgun, Conner got the carry up the middle and appeared stopped short. A very generous spot for some reason was not reviewed. On the next play Conner got in off-tackle as the Steelers trailed 28-7 with 1:44 left in the half. Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards to his own 36. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Mayfield scrambled for just enough. Mayfield then went to Chubb for 21 and Hooper for 8. Chubb ran for 12. On 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 12, Mayfield hit Hooper for 5 as the Browns took their last timeout with 37 seconds left. Mayfield went again to a wide open Hooper for a 7 yard touchdown as the Browns had a 35-7 lead over the shellshocked Steelers fans watching at home.
The Browns defense relaxed too early as the Steelers took over at their own 32 with 34 seconds left. Snell gained 11. Big Ben hit Johnson for 11 and 15. It appeared Claypool was tackled inbounds but the refs ruled he got to the sideline. Chris Boswell drilled a 49 yard field goal as the Steelers trailed 35-10 at the half. In the third quarter the Steelers took over at their own 16. Roethlisberger hit Chase Claypool for 7, Eric Ebron for 9, Juju Smith-Schuster for 10, Johnson for 12, Conner for 4, Ebron for 10, Johnson for 15, and Ebron for a 17 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Steelers were within 35-16 midway through the third quarter. Roethlisberger was 8 for 8 on the drive. Browns fans got a big collective lump in their throats after going 3 and out. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 33. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 15 and Smith-Schuster for 27. On 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 20, Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for 15. Big Ben then threw 3 straight incompletions. On 4th and goal at the 5, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for the touchdown. The Steelers were within 35-23 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Browns went 3 and out again as the Steelers got it back at their own 37. On 3rd and 8 Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for only 7 as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with the Steelers facing 4th and 1 from their own 46. Lined up in punt formation and making motions for a fake punt, attempts to draw the defense offside failed. Despite having all the momentum, the Steelers took a delay of game penalty and then punted. The Browns faced 3rd and 2 at their own 28. Mayfield threw a short pass to Landry, who got around the edge for a 17 yard gain and a key first down to give their defense a rest. Mayfield went back to Landry for 15 more. On 2nd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 40, the Steelers blitzed and a perfectly executed screen pass beat it. Chubb broke tackles and raced to the end zone for a touchdown. The Browns now had breathing room up 42-23 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Steelers struck back very quickly from their own 24. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 7 and 15, Smith-Schuster for 25, and Claypool for a 29 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Steelers were within 42-29 with 11 minutes left in regulation. A 30 yard kickoff return by Johnson had the Browns starting at their own 35. Chubb ran for 9 and one. Rather than grind down clock, the Browns stayed aggressive. Mayfield hit Hunt for 13 and Landry for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 6, a pass to the end zone was dropped. Cody Parkey hit the 45 yard field goal to put the Browns up 45-29. Yet because of the incompletion, 4 1/2 minutes remained rather than 3:45. After a touchback, the Steelers soon faced 1st and 10 from their own 40. Roethlisberger was intercepted by Takitaki, who returned it 23 yards to the Pittsburgh 25 with 3:16 to play. It was Pittsburgh’s 5th turnover including 4 interceptions of Roethlisberger. Parkey hit a 37 yard field goal to ice the game and make it 48-29 Browns with 2:50 to play.
The Steelers took over at their own 23. On 4th and 10 from the Cleveland 40, Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for 33 and Claypool for the 7 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion got the Steelers within 11 with 1:09 to play. The onside kick failed and he Browns finally survived. Roethlisberger threw 68 passes, completing 47 of them for 501 yards. He had 4 touchdown passes to go with the 4 interceptions. Mayfield was 21 of 34 for 263 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Browns were missing more than head coach Kevin Stefanski. They were also without offensive line coach Bill Callahan. They had more than one offensive lineman go down during the game. For those wondering, special teams coach Mike Priefer was the interim head coach in this game. He was once interim coach for another team a few years ago, a loss. His first win was a sweet one as David stunned Goliath. After 26 years, the playoff drought is over. After 16 straight years losing in Pittsburgh, that drought is over as well. The Browns won a playoff game and will travel to Kansas City in the Divisional round. 48-37 Browns