What we learned from Cleveland’s 24-19 win

On November 22, 2024By Littum

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Winston finished the snowy thriller, but not without late scares. When Jameis Winston tumbled into the end zone — his first rushing score in three years — on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, Huntington Bank Field erupted into a snow globe frenzy. The Browns led 18-6 with 12 minutes left and Winston looked like the hero. He was (sort of) but not without nearly coughing it up with a fumble and interception after that, giving the Steelers a shocking 19-18 lead in horrible conditions. Cleveland’s defense made a critical stop late, and Winston made a critical third-down conversion for layup Nick Chubb second touchdown of the night. Winston looked downright commanding at times before the late games. And Chubb scored twice against the team he was on hurt against last season. In a wild, fun game, the Browns finally had something to smile about again, even if the fourth quarter seemed to slip away from them.
Tomlin’s game handling hurts the Steelers in damaging losses. Mike Tomlin watched his Steelers claw their way back into the snow and take the lead late. But his curious game management at the ends of both halves could have helped give the Steelers a major blow to their playoff positioning. With the Browns potentially facing a fourth-and-1 with just under two minutes remaining and the Steelers leading, 19-18, Tomlin elected to accept a penalty, the Browns moved back five yards but made the third down again. Jameis Winston torched the Steelers with his first third-down conversion of the night, leading to the go-ahead TD. Not only did another minute burn off the clock, but the Browns led by five, not one (had they kicked a field goal). There were some signs that this might be a trap. The Steelers were coming off a massive win Sunday over the Ravens. It was a short week on the road against a Browns club that had nothing to lose. And the anatomy of an upset played out with the Steelers’ script for the first half: missed field goal, turnover on downs, field goal, fumble, end of half. Tomlin received some criticism for the final possession; he let almost 40 seconds run off the clock on defense. The final two minutes of both halves were costly for the Steelers.
Brown’s defense looked good early, held on late. Sure, the Browns’ offense has been a disappointment this season. But the defense was expected to be the bedrock unit, and that simply hadn’t been the case in Week 12. Perhaps the weather played a factor in the Browns’ success Thursday night, but they were arguably more effective when field conditions were better earlier in the game. The Steelers certainly stumbled on some rakes offensively, but the Browns brought the heat with their first-half rush — four sacks, including three of Myles Garrett who also had a streak that led to a Browns field goal. The Steelers drove for touchdowns after back-to-back Browns turnovers, but the maligned Browns defense got a huge stop on a quick three-and-out that took only a minute off the clock. That was enough to put Cleveland’s clear, and Russell Wilson‘s Hail Mary fell harmlessly into the snowy field.
The Fields package gave the Steelers’ offense a late boost. Justin Fields came in on the Steelers’ first third-down snap six plays into the game, but it was blown dead for a false start and Fields came out on third-and-6. On their second possession, Fields came in for a fourth-and-2 play, but it was a mess from the start, and he was tackled for a 2-yard loss and a turnover on downs. Nothing does. But when the Steelers came back to Fields in the fourth quarter, down 18-6, he gave them an immediate spark with a 30-yard run. Later, Fields’ throw drew a roughing-the-passer flag that helped the Steelers to a big touchdown. The Steelers needed something. Russell Wilson started the game 11 for 11 passing for 147 yards and had a key fumble, but the Steelers were held to three points at the half. He was also sacked four times in the first half. Wilson hit a beautiful deep ball to Calvin Austin III to set the Steelers up late and he was incredible on third downs (11 for 12, 198 yards, TD), but pass protection was an issue. Dan Moore struggled with Myles Garrett all night and the Steelers gave up yards with pre-snap penalties.
Can Winston be the Browns’ bridge QB in 2025? Winston did a lot of good things Thursday night. He also nearly coughed up the game with two critical late errors. But overall, he’s been a breath of fresh air in Cleveland during a heavy, dark season. Winston led the upset over the Ravens and then struggled against the Chargers. He played well Sunday in the loss to the Saints and started well Thursday night before the late heel turn. It will always be a ride with Winston. But it’s clear that he’s a better fit stylistically for Kevin Stefanski’s offense, and the players seem to feed off his energy and enthusiasm. How can you not smile when Winston makes snow angels after the game with the Amazon Prime postgame team? There are also the results. Winston is 2-2 as a starter; Deshaun Watson won one of his seven starts. And from a distance, the 2025 QB options in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft don’t seem all that appealing. Winston might make the most sense, even knowing he could be a wild card.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Steelers-Browns (via NFL Pro): Jameis Winston completed 5 of 6 passes on the run (8+ MPH) for 97 yards in snowy conditions in the Browns’ Week 12 win over the Steelers. On all other passes, Winston was 13 of 21 for 122 yards with an interception.

NFL Research: The Browns and Steelers combined for 16 points and one TD in the first three quarters, but they combined for 27 points and four TDs in the fourth quarter in Week 12.