Steelers RB DeAngelo Williams carted off with leg injury

Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Steve McLendon celebrates after the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-12 in an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Cleveland.

The Steelers will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in the playoffs next weekend.

As Pittsburgh was closing out another win over the rival Browns, Roethlisberger heard the crowd roar without anything happening on the field.

At halftime, the Steelers lead the Browns 14-9. “When I saw the towels getting out I kind of assumed what was going on”.

“You guys know me, I have a awful resume as a defensive coach”, Ryan said, sarcastically referring to his critics in the media.

Game mismanagement: + The Steelers gave the Browns three points before the half by saving time for them on Pittsburgh’s second scoring drive.

“It’s been a tough 16-week fight for us”, said head coach Mike Tomlin. “We just need to have that chain-linked fence effect”.

The Browns close out the 2015 National Football League season with a record of 3-13 – the team’s 11th double-digit loss season in the past 13 years. Pettine is 10-22 in two seasons.

“I was either on the field or on the sideline”.

“We are not happy with just winning the AFC South”, Houston wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said.

Meanwhile, the Steelers after cruising to a win over the woeful Cleveland Browns needed the Jets to lose in order to qualify.

All that was left was for the Bills to help out.

Antonio Brown: He was the team’s MVP for this ridiculous stat line – 136 catches, 1,834 yards, 10 receiving touchdowns. The Jets have not made the playoffs since 2010. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bills do not publicly discuss their plans involving player personnel.

The win came against Ryan’s former team and after the coach had faced the brunt of criticism for an under-performing high-priced defense that played a key role in Buffalo missing the playoffs for a 16th straight season – the NFL’s longest playoff drought. The Browns, on the other hand, could not touch Roethlisberger. And while DeAngelo Williams has been more than capable of carrying the load in Bell’s absence, Williams left the game on Sunday with an ankle injury that should concern the Steelers. Tomlin said Williams will have to be evaluated and that the extent of the injury is unknown.

ATLANTA – New Orleans safety Jamarca Sanford picked off Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan late in the fourth quarter, setting up Kai Forbath’s 30-yard field goal as time expired.

If you didn’t feel that way before last week, surely you do now, after seven days of uncertainty and lack of control regarding the Steelers’ playoff fate.

“It’s a bottom-line business and we lost”, Haslam said. While Manziel is not living up to expectations in the Browns organization, the Browns lived up to expectations today. Brown caught 13 passes for 187 yards.