Lawrence Timmons levels the Browns’ Cody Kessler. – MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

(Cleveland) – A short bus ride into OH put Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers back in the fast lane. What’s remained constant is the desire to play at its highest possible level for a full 60 minutes.

Doubtful. Would a more dedicated running game have provided better protection for Cody Kessler and Josh McCown on a day when the Steelers produced eight sacks and chased Browns quarterbacks from the pocket time and again? He recorded his second interception of the season to end that first Browns’ scoring drive and remains the only Steelers defensive back with an interception this season.

Roethlisberger tied to downplay the victory, but there was no denying its importance. “How do we break this curse?’ But when you go into a game not believing you’re going to win, you just don’t give yourself a chance”. “It really doesn’t mean anything”. “We’d been on a losing streak, so getting a win is going to really help everybody get into a better mood”. The problem wasn’t that the Browns didn’t run enough, the problem is that when they did run the ball the offensive line was abused by the Steelers’ front seven. This is a particularly disturbing trend for Roethlisberger owners as the Pittsburgh QB has road games in three of the next four weeks, with the one home game coming against a New York Giants defense that has allowed just 3 TD passes (compared to 8 INTs) in its past five games. Berry averaged 50 yards per punt on just three tries, while Boswell drilled all three field goal attempts and his lone extra point on the day, providing the Steelers with consistency on special teams.

“Anytime we can come in and get a win, get things back into perspective, it’s good”, said WR Antonio Brown, who had eight catches for 76 yards. He nudged Roethlisberger back to the ground after one of the few quarterback hits registered by the defense.

“We could, as you could see, we didn’t run the ball very well”, Jackson said during Monday’s post-mortem conference call.

“He probably won’t like me saying this but he got a little emotional, a little teary-eyed”, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said of Harrison. We didn’t want fatigue and things of that nature to become a factor in his first time out. “They’re getting hit every play”.

“This is football”, he said. Again, I just think all of our players are frustrated.

Why not kick a field goal to go up 9-0 instead of risking coming away with nothing at the end of the first half? The front office has whiffed on draft pick after draft pick, and it’s doomed the team. Together Kessler and McCown completed 21 of 41 passes. The Browns have nearly zero chance of winning if their running backs gain only 20 yards. Ben Roethlis berger was 23/36 and threw for 167 yards.

“It’s a tremendous honor, I guess I’m not trying to be a real vocal guy, I just go out there and I try to lead by example”.

Since the National Football League went to holding three Thanksgiving Day games in 2006, home teams have won 15 times and away teams have won 15.

Harrison’s teammates couldn’t have felt better about Harrison surpassing linebacker Jason Gildon’s total of 77 career sacks.

Jackson can’t lose his locker room, too.

Robert Griffin III, the starter at the beginning of the season, suffered a broken bone in his left shoulder in the season opener in Philadelphia, but that one can’t be pinned on the offensive line; Griffin was injured running out of bounds after scrambling for an 11-yard gain.

Griffin has been cleared to practice this week and will undergo another medical exam to see if he can take contact. The Browns have a bye on December 4, which would give RG3 additional time to get ready.

PASS THE STUFFING: It’s a short week for the Steelers, who will play at Indianapolis on Thanksgiving.