In what well may be Ben Roethlisberger’s final game at Heinz Field, Najee Harris and T.J. Watt are doing their best to keep the Steelers’ playoff hopes alive.
Harris has 89 of the Steelers’ 162 yards; Watt has two sacks; and the Steelers have a 10-0 halftime lead.
In one of the uglier halves in the NFL this season, the team have combined for seven punts, eight penalties and two turnovers. They have averaged 3.37 yards per play and are 4-of-17 on third down.
The Browns have 91 yards and four first downs on 26 plays, with Nick Chubb getting only four carries for 35 yards. Thirty-two came on one run.
Baker Mayfield had a streak of 10 consecutive passes without a completion at one point. It was the longest streak of incompletions since Sam Darnold’s 10 in a row in Week 7 of 2019 in the “seeing ghosts” game on Monday Night Football.
Mayfield threw an interception to Ahkello Witherspoon, which the Steelers used for a 39-yard field goal drive. He is 4-of-15 for 58 yards.
The Steelers might not have scored a touchdown if not for Jadeveon Clowney throwing Chase Claypool’s shoe after the receiver’s 3-yard catch on third-and-10 at the Cleveland 36. The 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct set up the Steelers at the Cleveland 18.
Three plays later, Roethlisberger found Diontae Johnson for a 5-yard touchdown against Denzel Ward.
Roethlisberger is 20-of-34 for 96 yards with a touchdown and an interception. A.J. Green picked Roethlisberger on the final play of the half.
Watt’s two sacks of Mayfield give him 19.5 for the season. He took over the league lead from Robert Quinn, who has 18.