Field Level Media
Dec 1, 2019
After a slow start Sunday, quarterback Devlin "Duck" Hodges and the Pittsburgh Steelers came on to beat the visiting Cleveland Browns 20-13.
Hodges, an undrafted third-stringer who was given the start over Mason Rudolph, was 14-of-21 passing for 212 yards, an interception and a touchdown to James Washington (four catches, 111 yards) as Pittsburgh (7-5) erased a 10-0 deficit. Benny Snell added a touchdown run.
The Steelers played without top receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and No. 1 running back James Conner, both out with injuries.
Cleveland's Baker Mayfield passed for 196 yards, with a touchdown to Kareem Hunt and an interception. He was sacked five times.
The Browns (5-7), who had won three straight, got a scare with seven seconds left in the second quarter when Mayfield left after getting his right hand tangled in the facemask of Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree on a follow-through, but he was able to return.
This was a rematch 17 days after the rivals engaged in a last-minute melee that included Cleveland's Myles Garrett drawing an indefinite suspension for hitting Pittsburgh's Mason Rudolph in the head with a helmet, but there was no apparent carryover.
On the opening drive, Cleveland took a 3-0 lead on Austin Seibert's 31-yard field goal.
The Browns increased that to 10-0 as Mayfield went 4 for 4 on a 70-yard drive that ended with Hunt coming out of the backfield for a 15-yard touchdown, his first of the year after an earlier suspension. He caught the ball around the 13 and broke two tackles.
At that point, Cleveland had outgained Pittsburgh 147 yards to 9 yards.
Hodges and the Steelers offense seemed to gain confidence, beginning with a 10-play, 62-yard push to set up Chris Boswell's 39-yard field goal to make it 10-3.
Pittsburgh tied it with one minute before halftime, driving 69 yards on five plays, with Hodges hitting Washington for a 30-yard touchdown.
Snell powered in from 1 yard on the opening possession of the second half for his first career touchdown and a 17-10 Pittsburgh lead.
Mayfield's fumble helped set up Boswell's 29-yarder to make it 20-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Seibert's 34-yard field goal cut it to 20-13 with 7:30 left.
Joe Haden's interception of Mayfield with 1:06 left sealed it.
--Field Level Media