Who won the NFL game last night? Result and score from Monday Night Football ft. Browns and Steelers
Monday Night Football featured a divisional rivalry matchup between two AFC North teams that don't like one another. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns did battle at Heintz Field.
The main storyline from the game was that this was Ben Roethlisberger's final home game.
Injuries and COVID-19 had taken a toll on the Browns roster the last couple of weeks. The Browns began the game healthy but suffered a few injuries during it.
The Steelers, on the other hand, fought for their playoff lives. In Roethlisberger's (likely) final home game, the Steelers' defense and Najee Harris made the Browns' life miserable.
NFL Monday Night Football: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Cleveland Browns
At the start of Monday Night Football, neither offense looked sharp. This trend continued throughout the entire game.
The defense carried the day for both teams. The Steelers scored just ten points by halftime, while the Browns took until the third quarter to score.
The Steelers have the NFL's 25th-ranked defense.
But the Browns have averaged 8.5 points and 240 yards in 2 games against it.
The story of the Browns' offensive struggles in the first half was the lack of Nick Chubb. The star running back had just four carries in the first half.
Baker Mayfield was incredibly inaccurate, completing just one of his first ten passes.
Jadeveon Clowney did his best to give the Browns some juice with two sacks on Roethlisberger. But the Browns were horrid at executing third downs, which resulted in them punting eight times.
The Steelers didn't fare any better on third-down during Monday Night Football, as they converted just five of 18. Roethlisberger threw 48 times for just 123 yards.
Thankfully, Harris and the offensive line had their best game during Monday Night Football, as Harris averaged 6.7 yards per tote.
Ultimately, Watt's otherworldly four-sack performance gave the Steelers the edge. Watt has 21.5 sacks this season and is one sack behind Michael Strahan's NFL record of 22.5.
Welcome to the 20+ sack club @_TJWatt!
(Only one person ever has done it twice. Imagine if it was your older brother and he bragged about it, that would suck.)
Go break the record kid.
With their victory, the Steelers clinched their 15th straight season at .500 or better under Mike Tomlin. They must beat the Baltimore Ravens next week and get help to make the postseason.
Roethlisberger received an unforgettable ovation after Monday Night Football ended from the Steelers faithful.
The Browns, meanwhile, have begun the process of pondering their future. Mayfield didn't do himself any favors with his poor performance in Monday Night Football.
Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers 26-14 Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers top performers:
QB: Ben Roethlisbergerger (24/46, 188 yards, TD, INT)
RB: Najee Harris (28 carries, 188 yards, TD)
LB: T.J. Watt (5 tackles, 4 sacks)
Cleveland Browns top performers:
QB: Baker Mayfield 16/38, 185 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT)
RB: Nick Chubb (12 carries, 58 yards)
DE: Jadeveon Clowney (4 tackles, 2 sacks)