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PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger handed for 123 yards with a landing and an interception in probably his final begin at Heinz Area, and the Pittsburgh Steelers dealt with the listless Cleveland Browns 26-14 on Monday evening to maintain their postseason hopes alive.
Pittsburgh (8-7-1) wants a win at Baltimore subsequent week mixed with a loss by Indianapolis to Jacksonville to succeed in the playoffs for the twelfth time in Roethlisberger’s 18 seasons.
He hardly did it alone. Rookie Najee Harris ran for a career-best 188 yards and a landing, Chris Boswell kicked 4 area targets and T.J. Watt sacked Baker Mayfield 4 instances to offer him 21 1/2 on the season, one in need of the NFL document set by Corridor of Famer Michael Strahan in 2001.
Pittsburgh’s protection sacked Mayfield 9 instances in all as Cleveland (7-9) — which was eradicated from postseason rivalry on Sunday — inexplicably put the sport on Mayfield’s tattered shoulders moderately than feed working again Nick Chubb in opposition to the NFL’s worst rush protection.
Chubb ran 12 instances for 58 yards whereas Mayfield threw it 37 instances, finishing simply 16, for 185 yards with two touchdowns and two picks, hardly making a compelling case to be the staff’s long-term answer at a place the place instability has been the norm for many years.
Issues are far completely different in Pittsburgh. In additional methods than one.
Roethlisberger, now 39, has outlined the franchise from the second he took over for an injured Tommy Maddox as a rookie two weeks into the 2004 season.
The sellout crowd roared as Roethlisberger jogged out onto the Heinz Area turf for the one hundred and thirty fifth time because the beginning quarterback and commenced chanting “Let’s Go Ben! Let’s Go Ben!” as he made his method out for the opening coin toss. It was an honor Roethlisberger took by himself after teammates and fellow co-captains Cam Heyward and Derek Watt let him stroll to the midfield brand alone.
Roethlisberger had tears in his eyes throughout a postgame interview with ESPN.
“I’m simply so grateful for these followers and this place. There’s no place prefer it,” he stated.
Roethlisberger was cautious to level out he had no plans to make the final two video games of his 18th season ceremonial.
The tank is perhaps working low, nevertheless it’s not empty, and he confirmed flashes — briefly, anyway — of the play that made him a two-time Tremendous Bowl champion and a Corridor of Famer each time he decides it’s over.
A shoulder pretend right here. A step up within the pocket there. The toes don’t transfer as quick as they used to. His arm doesn’t ship with the precision of the previous. The sphere-stretching heaves have been largely changed by dinks and dunks designed partly to guard him behind an offensive line that isn’t almost as proficient because the teams he led to the postseason with regularity.
But if there’s been one fixed throughout Roethlisberger’s profession, it’s been his mastery of the Browns, who famously handed over the Ohio native in favor of tight finish Kellen Winslow Jr. within the 2004 draft.
Roethlisberger’s victory improved his document to 26-3-1 in opposition to Cleveland and supplied a small measure of revenge lower than a 12 months after he threw 4 interceptions in a first-round dwelling playoff loss to the Browns final January.
That evening was purported to be the launching level for Cleveland heading into 2021. It merely hasn’t occurred. Accidents and inconsistent play from Mayfield amongst others will pressure the Browns to observe the playoffs from dwelling for the 18th time within the final 19 years.
The Steelers constructed a 13-0 benefit behind Roethlisberger’s 417th profession landing go, a 5-yard flip to Diontae Johnson within the first half that marked Pittsburgh’s first first-half landing since earlier than Thanksgiving.
Cleveland briefly received again into it within the third quarter when Mayfield hit David Njoku for a 6-yard rating, however there could be no comeback. Not with Watt bolstering his Defensive Participant of the 12 months candidacy and a protection that’s been shoddy at finest for a lot of the final two months summoning a menace it has lacked for lengthy stretches.
And Harris confirmed he can lead the Pittsburgh offense each time the post-Roethlisberger period begins.
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