Jets loss to Bills sends Pittsburgh into AFC playoffs

Steelers LB James Harrison’s third-quarter interception was his first this season….

Cleveland will need more production from the them than it got last week, as wide receivers accounted for just six catches and 56 yards. Later in the possession, Roethlisberger again went to Brown, and this time, the 26-yard gain moved the Steelers from a second-and-10 at the Browns’ 34-yard line to a first-and-goal at the eight.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Heinz Field.

If the veteran running back is forced to miss the playoff game next week, it will mark the second straight year that the Steelers have lost their starting running back in the final week of the season, hampering their offensive game plan in the playoffs.

Roethlisberger threaded a 17-yard TD pass to Brown with 58 seconds left in the second quarter, a score that gave the Steelers some breathing room after a rocky first 30 minutes. They held the ball for 16:24, rushing 21 times for 62 yards.

Six plays later Travis Coons nailed a 29-yard field goal to put the Browns on the board.

One poorly executed running play later, Pittsburgh’s fourth-and-1 turned into a first down for the Ravens. Over the last five games, the Steelers have improved their run defense, allowing an average of 88.6 rushing yards per game.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Ryan Tannehill passed for 350 yards and two touchdowns as Miami beat New England and prevented the Patriots from clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. The availability of the team’s leading rusher, who entered Sunday’s game with 899 yards and 11 touchdowns, will be under a microscope this week as his status for the playoffs is determined. Brown dropped what should have been a touchdown pass, Josh Scobee missed field-goal tries from 49 and 41 yards in the fourth quarter, and Mike Vick, in for an injured Roethlisberger, couldn’t convert a couple of fourth downs in overtime. I picked this team to go 10-6 at the beginning of training camp and with a win today over the Browns, that’s exactly what they will have accomplished. Before he caught his 125th pass, Brown fumbled following a 13-yard reception.

Roethlisberger was sent home from practice during the week with a head cold, but he’s expected to be fully recovered by kickoff – and that’s not a healthy thing for the Browns.

Bryant has had a fine second season in the league despite missing the first five games with a suspension and healthy scratch.

No one outside Jimmy Haslam’s inner circle knows what will happen after the season’s last game.

The settled for the kick after quarterback Austin Davis threw three consecutive incomplete passes from the Steelers’ 15. He joins DB Rod Woodson, RB Jerome Bettis and WR Hines Ward as the only other players to win the team MVP three times….

The Browns’ defense just won’t be able to keep up with all of the Steelers’ weapons. Davis was 25 of 38 passing for 230 yards and a pick in a 37-3 loss to the Bengals a month ago. TE Gary Barnidge needs 23 yards to join Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome (1981, 84) and Kellen Winslow (2007) as only Browns TEs with 1,000 in season….

Pittsburgh isn’t guaranteed a playoff spot with a win, but a loss would definitely eliminate it from the postseason.

The Bills beat the Jets 22-17, while Pittsburgh knocked off Cleveland 28-12, the only results that would have gotten the Steelers into the postseason.

“We can make some noise if we get in, man, ” Reilly said.

-Steelers receivers vs. Browns secondary.