Pittsburgh
Steelers
5-11
42
FINAL
41
Cleveland
Browns
4-12
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 18 showdown, the Pittsburgh Steelers narrowly defeated the Cleveland Browns 42-41, securing their playoff spot in dramatic fashion. With both teams fighting for postseason positioning, the stakes couldn't have been higher, setting the stage for a classic AFC North rivalry.
Pittsburgh's offensive fireworks were led by Joe Milton, who threw for four touchdowns, showcasing his ability to find the end zone under pressure. Jonathan Taylor dominated on the ground, racking up an impressive 194 rushing yards, while Jerimiah Smith was unstoppable in the air, accumulating 190 receiving yards. This potent trio propelled the Steelers' high-octane offense to success, leaving the Browns scrambling to keep up.
Defensively, the Steelers made key contributions, highlighted by Myles Garrett's two sacks, which disrupted the Browns' offensive rhythm at crucial moments. Javon Bullard's four tackles ensured Pittsburgh maintained pressure throughout the game. The turning point came when the Steelers' defense forced a critical turnover late in the fourth quarter, which paved the way for the game-winning drive, sealing their victory as time expired.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar Jackson | QB | 21 | 15 | 71% | 286 | 2 | 1 | 125.5 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 20 | 9 | 45% | 222 | 4 | 2 | 85.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | HB | 14 | 194 | 13.9 | 37 | 1 | 68 | 0 |
| Lamar Jackson | QB | 7 | 175 | 25.0 | 5 | 3 | 80 | 0 |
| Justice Haynes | HB | 17 | 71 | 4.2 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Trey'Dez Green | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Kayshon Boutte | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerimiah Smith | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerimiah Smith | WR | 6 | 190 | 31.7 | 32 | 3 | 64 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 5 | 93 | 18.6 | 22 | 1 | 37 | 0 |
| Troy Franklin | WR | 2 | 71 | 35.5 | 18 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | 3 | 57 | 19.0 | 36 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Kayshon Boutte | WR | 2 | 33 | 16.5 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Justice Haynes | HB | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 24 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Jonathan Taylor | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Nate Boerkircher | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javon Bullard | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Myles Garrett | LEDG | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Haulcy | SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kris Abrams-Draine | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Von Miller | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jihaad Campbell | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jordyn Brooks | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jerome Baker | SAM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Poona Ford | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Renardo Green | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Colson | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zakee Wheatley | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Turner | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Cooper | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Rozeboom | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Montez Sweat | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jadon Canady | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Stevens | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Dominic Zvada | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jack Fox | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

