Steelers win, get help to make playoffs

Brown caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger with 58 seconds left in the half.

With Cleveland down just 17-12 in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh’s defense came up with the game’s biggest play as linebacker Lawrence Timmons dropped Davis, who fumbled inside the 10-yard line.

Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Mike Mitchell celebrates after the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-12 in an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, in Cleveland.

Leave it to Rex Ryan to continue the New York Jets’ playoff drought.

The Browns put up a fight, but lost for the 13th time this season. It was their 18th defeat in the last 21 games.

Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and did not return.

Houston avoided the headache of possibly having to look at eight different tiebreakers by beating Jacksonville 30-6 to win the AFC South, making Indianapolis’ victory over Tennessee moot.

Watt, playing without a cast for the first time since breaking his left hand December 9, had had three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another one to help the Texans (9-7) to their first division title and playoff berth since 2012. But the fact in the two full seasons we’ve owned the team we’ve won seven games and three games is unacceptable. He also found the end zone on the end of a 17-yard pass from Roethlisberger. The Browns have hired Korn Ferry, an executive search firm, to assist with a quest that’s been as perplexing for Cleveland’s front office as the one for a franchise quarterback.

Regardless, they are headed in the right direction at the most important time of the year. He finished 21-for-26 for 293 yards without an interception.

The Chiefs opened the season 1-5.

Because of that, because the Steelers hit that huge pothole on their second-half roll, they’re not necessarily the team nobody wants to face.

Davis completed 24 of 46 passes for 240 yards. Smith finished with two TD passes and two interceptions.

Oh, sure there’s always Tom Brady and the Patriots at the top of the marquee but after Sunday’s pathetic effort by New England against the hapless Miami Dolphins, you had to start wondering where the excitement in the AFC is going to come from over the next few weeks.

The Patriots (12-4), who had already clinched a first-round bye, limp into the playoffs after losing four of their past six games and sustaining several injuries during the past month.

Roethlisberger threw his third touchdown pass, to Markus Wheaton of 8 yards with 10:43 left in the game.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown had 10 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns when the teams met earlier this season. I’m just glad I will be able to write about a playoff game against the AFC North champion Bengals next weekend; that’s much more exciting and tantalizing than talking about draft picks and potential free agents. Following the winning season, Marrone made the unconventional decision to opt out of his contract before joining the Jaguars staff. Steelers LB James Harrison’s third-quarter interception was his first this season…. Carolina can wrap up the home field in the NFC with a victory over Tampa Bay, but a loss would give Arizona a chance at the No. 1 seed.