The Cleveland Browns ended the season with a 27-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime, dropping to 1-15. By doing so, the team officially secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
In the first quarter, Robert Griffin III threw his first touchdown pass as a member of the Browns, finding TE Seth DeValve open in the flat for a 12-yard score to go up 7-0.
.@RGIII ➡️ @SethDevalve for six!#CLEvsPIT https://t.co/inr9nqJUHj
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 1, 2017
Cleveland’s defense logged third down sacks on QB Landry Jones on back-to-back series to force punts. In the second quarter, Griffin found another tight end for a touchdown. This time, it was TE Gary Barnidge from four yards out to make it a 14-0 game.
.@RGIII finds @GaryBarnidge for a #Browns TD!#CLEvsPIT https://t.co/rqWXRlsQNq
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 1, 2017
With Cleveland driving again, Griffin’s pass up the seam and to the end zone was picked off by LB Ryan Shazier at the 1 yard line.
Ryan Shazier went up and got it. https://t.co/1ZEYqi6ecR
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 1, 2017
Pittsburgh was stopped three straight plays at the 1 yard line, forcing them to punt. Just before the two minute warning, Griffin had the snap from C Anthony Fabiano go over his head, although he also didn’t look ready for it.
Pittsburgh recovered the loose ball and took over close to field goal range. Down in the red zone, a missed tackle by OLB Jamie Collins allowed RB DeAngelo Williams to score on an 11-yard pass from QB Landry Jones. The Browns led 14-7 at the half.
DeAngelo Williams makes a man miss and finds the end zone. https://t.co/EdmXNTgHbl
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 1, 2017
In the third quarter, both teams kept trading punts with each other. Toward the end of the corner, a third down pass by Jones was picked off by CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun. He dodged traffic for a 68 yard pick six, but the play went under review because he fumbled the ball as he dove for the end zone. It was a touchback, so Pittsburgh got the ball back.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh scored a 1-yard touchdown by RB DeAngelo Williams. They decided to go for the extra point only to tie it at 14-14. The Browns got in field goal range for their next drive, but an 8-yard sack on third down set up a 49-yard field goal attempt, which K Cody Parkey pulled wide left.
On the Steelers’ next drive, Jones found WR Darius Heyward-Bey for a 46-yard catch over the contest of Boddy-Calhoun. Pittsburgh finished the drive with an 11-yard crossing route to WR Demarcus Ayers, putting the Steelers up 21-14 with just over five minutes to go.
Just when the Browns seemed dead-and-buried, RB Isaiah Crowell ripped off a 67-yard run to get the Browns to the 5 yard line. Needing a blow, RB George Atkinson came in and scored on the ground to make it 21-20. The Browns only went for the extra point to tie it up at 21-21 with 3:28 to go.
67 YARDS.#FeedTheCrow @IsaiahCrowell34 https://t.co/eohfFwcau2
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 1, 2017
Cleveland’s defense forced a punt and they got the ball at midfield with two minutes to go. Griffin hit WR Terrelle Pryor down the sideline for a 43-yard gain, down to the 5 yard line with a minute to go. The next handoff went to Crowell...and he FUMBLED! That forced the game to go into overtime.
In overtime, the Browns won the coin toss and marched down the field with relative ease, including opening with a short pass that put Pryor over 1,000 yards for the season. They had 1st-and-goal at the 2 yard line, but on first down threw an incomplete pass off playaction to TE Randall Telfer. On second down, they threw a bubble screen for WR Andrew Hawkins that somehow led to a loss of 14 yards (yes, that is not a typo). On third down, the left guard was blown up immediately at the snap, so Griffin had to throw the ball away.
Cleveland kicked a 34-yard field goal to take a 24-21 lead. Pittsburgh then got the ball with an opportunity to score themselves...and score they did: a touchdown to Cobi Hamilton from 26 yards out to win it 27-24.
Quick Hitters
- QB Robert Griffin III: 29-of-40 for 232 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. 5 rushes, 32 yards.
- RB Isaiah Crowell: 19 carries, 152 yards, 1 fumble.
- RB George Atkinson III: 5 carries, 32 yards, 1 TD.
- WR Terrelle Pryor: 7 catches, 94 yards (puts him over 1,000 for the season).
- TE Gary Barnidge: 5 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD.
- TE Seth DeValve: 1 catch, 12 yards, 1 TD.
- The Browns’ defense registered four sacks and one interception.
- The Browns had 437 yards to Pittsburgh's 312 yards.