The Cleveland Browns have been dreaming 26 years for a night like this.
Which came after overcoming a nightmare week. And only after avoiding a nightmare finish.
After jumping to a stunning 28-0 first-quarter lead Sunday in Pittsburgh, the Browns held on 48-37 for their first playoff victory since 1994.
One week after ending the NFL's longest playoff drought, the Browns snapped a 17-game losing streak at Heinz Field, which was the third-longest road losing streak to a single opponent in league history.
Cleveland will face the top-seeded Chiefs in Kansas City in the AFC divisional round next weekend.
Against the Steelers, the Browns scored a defensive touchdown on the first play. Tied an NFL playoff record for points in a first quarter. Then weathered a furious second-half rally from Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Cleveland won without coach Kevin Stefanski, who tested positive for COVID-19 early last week, which prevented him from making the trip to Pittsburgh. Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio also tested positive for the virus, along with wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge and two offensive assistants, which forced the Browns to close their training facility and wiped out their Wednesday and Thursday practices.
Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer took over as acting head coach for Stefanski, while offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt called the plays for him. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported during the game that Stefanski had been cleared to return for next weekend's game. According to Schefter, Stefanski watched Cleveland's victory from his basement alone with his phone turned off.
Yet even shorthanded on the field and along the sidelines, with little practice time, the Browns came out swinging in their first playoff appearance in 17 seasons.
On the first play, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey snapped the ball over the head of Roethlisberger, and Cleveland safety Karl Joseph recovered it in the end zone, giving the Browns a lead after just 14 seconds.
It didn't take long for the Browns to add to it. M.J. Stewart intercepted Roethlisberger on the next drive, and Baker Mayfield made the Steelers pay with a 40-yard touchdown strike to Jarvis Landry. Kareem Hunt then extended the lead with a pair of touchdown runs, the second set up by another Roethlisberger interception.
The Browns became the first team to score 28 points in the first quarter of a playoff game since the Raiders did it in 1969.
After falling behind 35-7, the Steelers finally started scoring. But the Browns never stopped, on the way to putting up their most points in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era.
To begin the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin curiously punted on fourth-and-1 near midfield after the Steelers had cut the lead to 35-23 and swung momentum.
The Browns answered on Mayfield's 40-yard touchdown pass to Chubb off a screen, effectively putting the Browns back in command.
The last time Cleveland won a playoff game, Bill Belichick was the head coach and Mayfield, 25, had yet to be born. The Browns coincidentally defeated Belichick's future team, the New England Patriots, in the first round, before falling in Pittsburgh. The Steelers also defeated Cleveland in its last playoff appearance 18 years ago.
With Pittsburgh resting Roethlisberger and other key players, the Browns defeated the Steelers last weekend to clinch a playoff berth.
This week, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was asked if these Browns were any different than the ones Pittsburgh had dominated over the years.
"I think they're still the same Browns teams I play every year," he answered. "I think they're nameless gray faces. They have a couple good players on their team, but at the end of the day, like, I don't know. The Browns is the Browns. They're a good team, but I'm just happy we're playing them again."
Hours before kickoff Sunday, Mayfield posted a hype video on his Instagram page with the title, "Browns is the Browns."
He then went on to complete 21 of 34 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in his first postseason outing.
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January 11, 2021 at 09:46AM
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Cleveland Browns beat Pittsburgh Steelers for 1st playoff win since 1994 - ESPN
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