Nic Antaya/Getty Images Chase Claypool and Mason Rudolph of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 03, 2021.
On Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns (11-5) clinched a playoff berth with a 24-22 win over a shorthanded Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) squad, setting up a playoff rematch at Heinz Field next weekend. The Steelers are the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs, while the Browns are the No. 6 seed. The day and time of next week’s game has yet to be announced.
It will be Cleveland’s first appearance in the playoffs since 2002. That year, the Steelers knocked the Browns out of the postseason when quarterback Tommy Maddox spearheaded a 36-33 come-from-behind win at Heinz Field.
Steelers Utilize QBs Mason Rudolph and Josh Dobbs
In a new twist on offense, Pittsburgh used both its second- and third-string quarterbacks on Sunday. Backup Mason Rudolph finished the game 22 of 39 for 315 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception. Third-string QB Josh Dobbs, making his first appearance of the season, completed four of five passes for two yards while also rushing twice for 20 yards.
The most noteworthy Steelers play of the day was a 28-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to Steelers rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool—the quintessential combat catch.
Claypool finished the game with five catches for 101 yards and a TD on 11 targets. He ends the regular season with 62 receptions for 873 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, as well as a pair of rushing touchdowns.
But Rudolph’s lone interception was costly. On a third-and nine from the Steelers’ 42-yard line, Browns cornerback M.J. Stewart Jr. came up with the pick and returned the ball 30 yards to Pittsburgh’s 20 yard line. The Browns found the end zone four plays later when wide receiver Jarvis Landry scored on a four-yard sweep to give the Browns a 24-9 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Steelers D-Linemen Carlos Davis and Isaiah Buggs Feud on Sideline
Another memorable moment from Sunday’s game occurred on Pittsburgh’s sideline, when two of the team’s young defensive lineman (rookie nose tackle Carlos Davis and second-year DT Isaiah Buggs) got into a fight.
Veteran Chris Wormley suddenly found himself in between the two, before Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin came in and played the role of dad.
#Steelers defensive linemen Carlos Davis and Isaiah Buggs getting into it on the sideline…
Steelers Extend Sack Streak
In other notable developments, a second-quarter sack by the aforementioned Chris Wormley allowed the Steelers to extend the team’s streak of recording at least one sack to 73 games. Pittsburgh broke the NFL record (which was 69 games, held by the 1999-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers) earlier this season against the Buffalo Bills.
By finishing with four sacks in the game (Wormley, Alex Highsmith, Stephon Tuitt, Jay Elliott), the Steelers finished the year with 56 sacks, tying the franchise record for a single season, which was set in 2017.
By closing the year with 50-plus sacks, the Steelers also set a new franchise record by reaching that milestone for the fourth year in a row. In 2021, the Steelers will attempt to tie the NFL record for most consecutive seasons with 50 or more sacks (five). That record is held jointly by Washington, Dallas, and Buffalo; all three teams set the record between 1983-87.
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