Steelers 20, Browns 13: Assessing The Great Grudge Match Win

PITTSBURGH, PA - After a disappointing loss to Cleveland capped by a brawl that received national attention two weeks ago, the Steelers rebounded against the Browns at Heinz Field by erasing a 10-point deficit and winning 20-13. The victory essentially knocked the Browns out of the AFC playoff race.

Here's what football writers across the country are saying about the game:

Nick Shook, NFL.com: "Duck Hodges has moxie, and more importantly, he doesn't turn the ball over nearly as often as Mason Rudolph. That alone -- and the heroics of James Washington -- was enough to propel the Steelers to 20 straight points and a home win that both sends the Browns well down the postseason mountain and keeps themselves afloat in the second wild-card spot."

Jake Trotter, ESPN: "After a brief and chaotic reprieve, the Steelers restored balance to a rivalry that's been anything but balanced while flexing their permanence as a franchise against a flailing one defined mostly by its dysfunction this millennium...describing the game in two words: season-ender. The Browns desperately needed this game desperately to keep their playoff hopes alive."

Gary Gramling, Sports Illustrated: "The Browns’ latest humiliation: With the postseason

within reach, they had a double-digit lead against the Duck Hodges-led Steelers. The fact that they didn’t win the game is the biggest insult of all."

Lorenzo Reyes, USA Today: "Mike Tomlin’s Steelers, who are down to Devlin "Duck" Hodges at quarterback, are 7-5, have won six of their last seven, and are holding steady in the sixth seed of the AFC playoff bracket. Considering that this is a Pittsburgh team that lost Antonio Brown and has dealt with other injuries, Tomlin has put himself firmly in the conversation for coach of
the year."

season consisting of six quarters of work this season. Yet seemingly every move they make continues to pay off big-time, and this gutsy outing against Cleveland ensures yet another year when the Steelers are playing meaningful football games down to the very end."