What We Learned from Cleveland’s 24-19 win

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1. Winston finished off 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 in a snow-globe frenzy. The Browns led 18-6 with 12 minutes left, and Winston looked like the hero. Ultimately, he was, even though he nearly coughed up the game after that thrilling TD with a fumble and interception that gave the Steelers a shocking 19-18 lead in terrible conditions. Cleveland’s defense made one critical stop late, and Winston made a huge third-down conversion to set up Nick Chubb’s go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute remaining. Winston looked downright commanding at times prior to the late-game flubs. And Chubb got to score twice versus rival Pittsburgh, the team he was playing against when he suffered a season-ending injury last year. In a wild, fun game, the Browns finally had something to smile about again.
2. Tomlin’s game management hurts Steelers in damaging loss. Mike Tomlin watched his Steelers claw back in the snow and take the lead late. But his curious game management at the ends of both halves might have helped deal the Steelers a tough blow to their playoff positioning. With the Browns potentially facing a fourth-and-2 with just under two minutes remaining and the Steelers leading, 19-18, Tomlin opted to accept a penalty, moving the Browns back 5 yards, but making it third down again. Jameis Winston burned 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 two (had they kicked a field goal). There were some signs that this could be a trap game. The Steelers were coming off a massive win Sunday over the Ravens. It was a short-week game on the road against a nothing-to-lose Browns club. And the anatomy of an upset was playing out with the Steelers’ first-half script: missed field goal, turnover on downs, field goal, fumble, end of half. Tomlin earned some criticism for that last possession; he allowed nearly 40 seconds to run off the clock on defense. The final two minutes of both halves were costly for the Steelers.
3. Browns’ defense looked great early, held on late. Sure, Cleveland’s 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 entering Week 12. Perhaps the weather played a factor in the Browns’ defensive success Thursday night, but they were arguably more effective when the field conditions were better earlier in the game. The Steelers certainly tripped on some rakes offensively, but the Browns brought the heat with their first-half pass rush — four sacks, including three by Myles Garrett, who also had a strip that led to a Cleveland field goal. The Steelers drove for touchdowns after back-to-back Browns turnovers, but the maligned Cleveland D got one huge stop on a quick three-and-out that took only one minute off the clock. That was enough to set up the Browns’ go-ahead score, and Russell Wilson’s Hail Mary fell harmlessly into the snowy field.
4. Fields package gave Steelers’ offense a late lift. Justin Fields entered 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 on 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 doing. But when the Steelers came back to Fields in the fourth quarter, down 18-6, he gave them an instant spark with a 30-yard run. Later, Fields’ throw drew a roughing-the-passer flag, helping the Steelers to a big touchdown. Pittsburgh needed something. Russell Wilson started the game 11-of-11 passing for 147 yards and had a key fumble recovery, but the Steelers were stuck on three points at the half. And the QB1 was also sacked four times in the first half. Wilson struck on a beautiful deep ball to Calvin Austin III to put the Steelers up late, and he was incredible on third downs (11-for-12, 198 yards, TD), but the pass protection was an issue. Dan Moore struggled with Myles Garrett all night, and Pittsburgh gave up yards with pre-snap penalties.
5. Can Winston be the Browns’ bridge QB in 2025? Jameis Winston did a lot of good things Thursday night. He also almost lost the game with two critical late mistakes. But overall, he has been a breath of fresh air in Cleveland during a heavy, dark season. Winston led the Week 8 upset of the Ravens, then struggled against the Chargers. He played well last Sunday in the loss to the Saints and started well Thursday night before the late heel turn. It’s always going to be a roller-coaster ride with Winston. But it’s quite clear he’s a better stylistic fit for Kevin Stefanski’s offense than Deshaun Watson, and the players seem to feed off his energy and enthusiasm. How do you not smile when Winston is making snow angels after the game with the Amazon Prime crew? There are also the results. Winston is 2-2 as a starter; 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 appear all that appealing. Winston might make the most sense, even knowing that he can be a wild card.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Steelers-Browns (via NFL Pro): Jameis Winston completed five of his six passes on the run (8+ MPH) for 97 yards amid 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.