Steelers snag spot in AFC playoffs

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hands the ball to a fan after the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-12 in an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Cleveland.

After the firing of GM Ray Farmer early Sunday, it was a foregone conclusion that Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine would be next. He recovered a fumble by Steelers receiver Antonio Brown on Pittsburgh’s first possession and returned the ball 9 yards.

They’re in. And they’re unsafe.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back Karlos Williams rushed for first-half touchdowns and kicker Dan Caprenter made three field goals as the Bills ended the Jets’ five-game winning streak.

After a stunning loss last week in Baltimore, the Steelers (10-6) were in a predicament.

Pittsburgh’s Twitter account got the ball rolling, expressing gratitude for the effort by the Bills, who themselves had long since been eliminated from the playoffs and could only play the role of spoiler, either to the Jets or the Steelers.

Pittsburgh pulled off its parlay on the Great Lakes.

Coach Mike Tomlin said it has not been determined how serious an injury, but Williams left the locker room with his right foot in a protective walking boot. “We’re where we need to be”.

Back in November, after Pittsburgh’s depressing 16-10 loss to the Bengals at Heinz Field, I wrote that a playoff spot was still attainable, despite a 4-4 record.

Leading comfortably in the closing minutes, Roethlisberger heard the crowd roar.

Ben Roethlisberger looked up in the fourth quarter and noticed Pittsburgh fans twirling their Terrible Towels with delight. “I know they’re excited about 8-8 and we’re excited that they got us in”.

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.

When they’re on their game, the Steelers can beat anyone.

Davis’ only touchdown pass this season was in relief when QB Josh McCown was injured against the Ravens when Davis hit WR Travis Benjamin for a touchdown to tie the game and send to overtime.

They got just that.

When Buffalo completed its win over the Jets, the Steelers began hugging and high-fiving on the sideline. And it’s not wrong to say this is one of the most risky Super Bowl contenders among the league’s twelve.

The Steelers forced four turnovers Sunday – two interceptions and two fumbles by the Browns. “Sitting here as a Pittsburgh Steeler, that’s the expectation to make the playoffs and hoist the Lombardi Trophy”.

“It was one of those things that – it wasn’t like a blowout game for us”, Arthur Moats said. Brown also finished the season fourth all time with 1,834 yards this season. Pettine went just 10-22 in two seasons, losing 18 of his final 21 games.

Pettine was the team’s seventh full-time coach since 1999. He was replaced by Chris Clark and said after the game that he didn’t yet know the severity of the injury. He threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns in his first game against the Browns this season. But they will go into the offseason on a high note, after beating the Falcons for the second time this season.

-DE Stephon Tuitt sacked Browns QB Austin Davis twice. Haslam said Manziel failed to report to the team’s headquarters on Sunday for concussion treatment.

It wouldn’t have been a Cleveland Browns news conference without questions about Johnny Manziel’s latest behavourial mistake.

Said Foster: “It’s happiness for us”.