PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cleveland Browns 24-19 in the first snowy game of the season. The Steelers are now 8-3 and the Browns improved to 3-8. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson passed for 270 yards on 75 percent completion and a touchdown. Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III caught all three of his targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston passed for 219 yards on 66.6 percent completion and one interception. Browns running back Nick Chubb scored two touchdowns.

The first quarter was not what the Steelers had hoped for. With the snow falling and the wind blowing hard, the Steelers attempted to complete the first drive with a 59-yard Chris Boswell field goal. But Boswell missed because of the leg or the wind – just his second miss of the season. Notably, backup quarterback Justin Fields came in for a third down play, but the different cadence between Fields and Wilson prompted a false start penalty.

On the next drive, Wilson found wide receiver George Pickens one-on-one and connected with the star receiver for a 31-yard gain. On fourth-and-two at Cleveland’s 38-yard line, Fields reentered the game. But Fields’ run couldn’t get past the gain line, and the Steelers turned it over on downs.

The bright side for the Steelers was that the defense forced back-to-back three-and-outs. The Steelers had eighty yards and the Browns had just 14 yards of offense in the first quarter.
Neither team scored.

Wilson hit another explosive play on the next drive with a 46-yard completion to wide receiver Calvin Austin III. The huge gain highlighted a 10-play, 59-yard drive to the Browns’ 25-yard line, but a false start penalty on the attempted field goal pushed the Steelers out of the red zone. Boswell redeemed himself with a 48-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

The Browns would not sit down for long. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston connected repeatedly with receiver Jerry Jeudy for gains of 16, eight and 15 yards. Browns running back Nick Chubb, who suffered a gruesome leg injury against the Steelers last season, ran in the first touchdown from two yards out. The Browns led 7-3 with four minutes left in the half.

Wilson may have caught the turnover problem. On the ensuing second play of the game, Wilson was pressured by Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Wilson fumbled the ball. The Browns came up with the fumble at the Steelers’ 31-yard line.

The Browns were able to get a first down with a solid gain from wide receiver Elijah Moore, but the Steelers defense tightened up and forced a field goal. After playing one of their worst halfs of football all season, the Steelers tried to get in with at least 40 seconds left. The drive got off to a great start with a 19-yard completion to tight end Pat Freiurmuth. But then two incompletions and a third-and-10 sack meant the Steelers looked to cut their losses and regroup for the second half.

The weather must have played a bigger role than expected in a game-shortened AFC North week. On the first play of the second half, Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick made a tackle and forced a fumble, but the Browns recovered it. Two plays later, the Steelers’ DeShon Elliott, the other starting safety, forced a fumble from Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman, and defensive back Donte Jackson recovered it.

At their own 25-yard line, the Steelers offense had to make something work. After four straight plays and a short pass from Wilson, the Steelers had fourth-and-short again. But the Steelers turned it over for the second time in their own territory.

Perhaps confidence in the defense weighed into the decision, as the Steelers defense forced another three-and-out.

The Steelers’ offense finally put together a decent run, but the weather took a turn for the worse. The snowfall completely covered the ground, made visibility very low and made the ball even wetter than it was to start the game – a classic AFC North football game. On third-and-10 at Pittsburgh’s 34-yard line, Wilson found wide receiver Van Jefferson wide open for a 35-yard gain. Wilson even extended a play for a first down later in the drive. And finally, a fourth-and-one to Freiurmuth gave the Steelers the fourth-down conversion they had been chasing all game.

Rookie center Zach Frazier, either due to human error or the snow, snapped the ball well over Wilson’s head in the red zone. Wilson prevented the fumble, but the error put the offense well behind the sticks. Boswell kicked a 28-yard field goal to cut the Steelers’ deficit to 10-6 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.

The Browns responded with an explosive play of their own as Wilson found tight end Blake Whiteheart for a 29-yard gain on the first play of the drive. On fourth down and inches just outside the red zone, Chubb broke a tackle from Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts and crossed the line for the win. At the goal line and with an offensive line that dominated all game, the Browns kept the ball on the field. On fourth down, the Browns, with nothing to lose, went for it.

Winston avoided being sacked twice, leaping and spinning into the end zone. Leading 16-6, the Browns elected to go for two. Winston found David Njoku to the right side for the ensuing conversion, putting the Browns up 18-6 with 12:46 left in the fourth quarter. The Browns finished 1-10 on third down conversions and a perfect 4-4 on fourth down.

Down 12, the Steelers’ offense needed to be unlocked. On the second play, Fields reentered the game and immediately broke off a 30-yard run down the sideline. Two plays later, Fields drew a roughing the passer penalty. The Browns couldn’t keep their composure as they were called for a neutral zone offense and a Browns defender ripped Pickens’ mouthpiece off his helmet, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. At Cleveland’s three-yard line, running back Jaylen Warren scampered into the end zone for the Steelers’ first touchdown. The Browns led 18-13 with 7:57 left in the game.

The Steelers’ comeback was getting bigger and bigger. On the second play of the Browns’ next drive, Nick Herbig sacked Winston and Elliott recovered the fumble.

With the ball on Cleveland’s 27-yard line, the Steelers were guaranteed at least three points. On third-and-six, under heavy pressure, Wilson wanted it all at once. Wilson completed a 23-yard pass to Austin III in the middle of the end zone for another touchdown.

With a Steelers comeback looking likely, the Browns made plays. Things looked bleak once the Browns fumbled the kickoff, but recovered it deep in their own territory. Winston connected with Jeudy for 26 yards, but then threw Jackson two incompletions and a terrible interception. But the Browns defense forced a three-and-out, and the Steelers only threw for 15 yards.

The Browns needed just one field goal to take the lead. Already on the opposite side of the field, Winston and the Browns didn’t need much to give themselves a kicker–even in the snow. Winston avoided another sack on third-and-three, making the fourth-down attempt much easier. And for the fourth time the Browns went on fourth down and converted.

Then finally the Browns converted on a third down. Winston completed a 15-yard pass to Jeudy to reach just outside the Steelers’ end zone. Chubb retook the lead with another two-yard touchdown run. Leading by five points, the Browns went for two, but a false start penalty pushed the drive back five yards. Jeudy couldn’t make the two-point conversion, and the Steelers had 57 seconds to put together a game-winning drive.

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