Steelers dominate Browns, 27-11
By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2...s/201311240217
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CLEVELAND --- The Steelers won their third straight game Sunday, dominating the Cleveland Browns 27-11.
The victory raised their record to 5-6. Cleveland lost for the fifth time in six games to slip to 4-7.
The Steelers expanded their lead to 20-3 over Cleveland after three quarters.
Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes to Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 217 yards, no interceptions and no sacks.
The Steelers forced four Cleveland turnovers, three fumbles and William Gay’s 21-yard interception return for a touchdown with 4:27 to go in the game, his first career score on a pickoff. Gay also forced a fumble, and Troy Polamalu forced two fumbles.
Roethlisberger threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Sanders for four yards midway through the third quarter.
That score came one play after Will Allen returned a fumble 49 yards to the four. Cleveland quarterback Jason Campbell lost the ball when Gay blitzed and sacked him on a third-down play at the Steelers’ 39.
The only offensive bright spot for the Browns was Josh Gordon, who caught 14 passes for 237 yards, and a 1-yard touchdown reception from Brandon Weeden with 3:13 left in the game.
The Browns used two quarterbacks. Campbell was twice driven from the game, once in the second quarter briefly with a rib injury and for good in the third quarter with a head injury. Weeden replaced him.
Cleveland’s Billy Cundiff missed a 46-yard field goal wide to the left late in the quarter. It was his first miss since September after making 12 straight.
The Steelers had scored twice in the final 2 ½ minutes of the first half to take command and a 13-3 halftime lead.
Brown caught a 41-yard pass from Roethlisberger late in the half, beating cornerback Joe Haden. He caught it at the three and bobbled it as he fell on his back in the end zone. It never hit the ground, however, and Brown grasped it off his stomach for the score with 2:33 left.
Roethlisberger, leaning on the no huddle offense for much of the time, completed 16 of 23 passes for 171 yards in the first half.
Moments earlier, Cleveland lost quarterback Campbell to a rib injury after Jason Worilds tackled him just after he released a throw. There was no penalty on the play. Former starter Brandon Weeden replaced him.
The Steelers also lost a starter; nose tackle Steve McLendon left the game on the last play of the first quarter with a left ankle injury. Al Woods replaced him.
After that touchdown, the Browns drove into Steelers territory but Polamalu stripped the ball from fullback Chris Ogbonnaya and then recovered the fumble at the Steelers’ 46.
Roethlisberger guided them to the 14 where, with seven seconds left in the half, Shaun Suisham kicked his second field goal of the day, from 32 yards.
The teams were tied 3-3 after the first quarter.
The Steelers took the opening kickoff and went straight to their no-huddle offense and for the second straight week, scored on their first series doing so.
Only this time, they did not reach the end zone. Suisham kicked a 47-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
The Browns responded with their own long field goal to tie it 3-3 on Cundiff’s 49-yarder. Gordon accounted for 24 yards of that 34-yard drive on a third-down catch from Campbell.
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