It was Ben Roethlisberger's night to celebrate his career achievements.
But just as much as anything else, it was a night for the Steelers to show they aren't devoid of stars even once Roethlisberger is gone.
Najee Harris rushed for a career-high 188 yards and a game-clinching touchdown, while T.J. Watt had four sacks to fuel a nine-sack night for the defense, as the Steelers celebrated Roethlisberger's final home game at Heinz Field with a dominating 26-14 win over the Browns Monday night.
Roethlisberger drew chants throughout the game from the 63,624 in attendance, and his victory lap around the field following the game was one for the age. He spent half an hour soaking in the ambience of what was one of the most special nights in franchise history as fans celebrated the 18-year-veteran's career.
"It wasn't pretty, but like I said out on the field, feels like that's been my style," said Roethlisberger, who was 24 of 46 passing, but for just 123 yards with one touchdown and an interception. "Not pretty but finding a way to win. I think that's 92 wins here at Heinz Field, and that's what it's always been about for a me, is winning football games. This is one more and it's very special."
The Steelers improved to 8-7-1 and stayed alive in the AFC playoff picture -- barely. They didn't get Roethlisberger's best game. But that was fine because his teammates were more than happy to do the heavy lifting.
Harris pounded away throughout the night, gaining 71 yards on 13 carries -- moving him past Franco Harris' team rookie rushing record of 1,055 yards set in 1972 -- in the first half as the Steelers built a 10-0 lead on Roethlisberger's touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson and a Chris Boswell field goal. And the power with which he ran all night began to show itself in the second half.
On his first carry of the second half, Harris broke off a 30-yard run that not only pushed him over 100 yards in the game, but also seemed to break the spirit of the Browns (7-9), who were picked by many to win the AFC North this season.
From that point on, it wasn't a matter if the Steelers would win, but only by how much?
"It was all inside zone," Harris said. "John Leglue on the first one, he did a good job blocking his man. I was one-on-one with a backer. Anytime I get in a one-on-one position, that’s what we’re trying to do as a team, get me in a one-on-one position with anybody, a linebacker, safety, it doesn’t matter. I just have to win that. That sprung me on that one."
That possession ended with a Boswell field goal and a 13-0 lead.
The Browns did pull within 13-7 on a 3-yard TD pass from Baker Mayfield to David Njoku after Ray-Ray McCloud muffed a punt after Watt's third sack of the game ended Cleveland's next possession, but that 48-yard drive was largely all the fight the Browns had left in them.
With Harris and the running game pounding away and Watt and the defense harassing Mayfield for seven sacks in the second half, there wasn't much the Browns could do.
The Steelers added two more Boswell field goals in the fourth quarter, then Harris put the game away later after the Browns used a pair of pass interference penalties to pull within 19-14 with 1:14 remaining in the game on a 1-yard TD pass from Mayfield to Harrison Bryant.
Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered an onside kick and after two-straight Harris runs forced the Browns to use their remaining timeouts, he finished the Browns off with this run:
"He told me to get down. I didn’t get down," Harris said of what Roethlisberger told him before that run. "He said get what you can and protect the ball. On the sideline, everybody was like, ‘Get down.’ I was like, ‘Nah.’ "
There was a message to be sent.
That made it 26-14 and when Tre Norwood intercepted Mayfield with 10 seconds remaining, it allowed Roethlisberger one last chance to take the field and run his favorite play -- the quarterback kneel down to run out the clock.
"Man, I'm so proud," Roethlisberger said of the rookie, whom he's taken under his wing this season. "He was still sitting there when I came over here, and I just told him 'Thank you.' I said, 'I'm so proud of you.' He's a heck of a football player. Tonight, it's like he ran possessed. Some of the things he did were just special, and he gave us this victory."
Harris said his running in this game was for Roethlisberger.
"The atmosphere out there was crazy. So far that I’ve been here I think that was the most amplified and energized Heinz Field has been since I’ve been here," Harris said. "For us to feed off the fan’s energy, I think it helped us out a lot. Also, it being Ben's last game, our energy was up so to come out there and perform at our highest level, that was big."
Harris earlier in the week called his 1,000-yard season an "ugly" one. There was nothing ugly about this. In fact, it showed Steelers fans what might be coming in the future.
Harris' game was so big, he improved his rushing average per carry from 3.7 to 4.0. And it moved him up to fourth in the NFL in rushing heading into next Sunday's regular season finale in Baltimore with 1,172 yards.
"This was a better game for rushing. It was a better game and we just need to keep this going on into Baltimore," Harris said. "Not every game is going to be perfect, but there’s obviously games like this where you give a big shout out to the o-line because they did their job. With the whole coaching staff, they really focused up and executed their assignments, so big shout out to C-Mo (offensive line coach Chris Morgan) and the whole o-line for doing what they do."
• Watt and the defense were dominant against an offensive line considered one of the best in the NFL.
Yes, the Browns were playing without right tackle Jack Conklin, injured earlier in the year in the Steelers' 15-10 win in Cleveland. But the Steelers had four sacks in that game and limited the Browns to 96 rushing yards.
They were even better in this game, as rookie right tackle James Hudson had no answer for what the Steelers threw at him. Not only did Watt have four sacks, improving his season total to 21.5, one behind the NFL record of 22.5 held by Michael Strahan, his backup Derrek Tuszka also recorded a sack. Alex Highsmith had two coming from the other side against highly regarded left tackle Jedrick Willis, while Cam Heyward and Henry Mondeaux also recorded sacks on the interior.
The Steelers dominated the line of scrimmage. Watt said the crowd played a factor.
"Anytime you play at home, the fans go crazy," Watt said. "You get them on a silent count. They wanted to throw the ball as much as they did, so there was opportunity for splash. Just feeding off of each other and feeding off the crowd ... no atmosphere like Heinz Field."
Not in this game against this opponent.
And it didn't hurt that the Browns went away from star running back Nick Chubb early. Chubb got just four first-half carries as coach Kevin Stefanski said he suffered a rib injury on an early run. Chubb finished with 58 yards on 12 carries, while the Browns ran for 93 yards in the game -- far below the 178 rushing yards the Steelers had allowed on average in their past eight games.
"Stop the run early. I think they had one big run and I was annoyed because we knew what they were going to do," Heyward said of a 32-yard run by Chubb in the first half. "It was a counter. They pulled the guard and tackle on the back side and create an extra gap. After that, we cleaned up a lot. It was good team defense. Going forward, this should be teaching tape."
It should be. Because if guys want to rush the passer, they need to stop the run first. And with Chubb compromised, Mayfield was unable to consistently move Cleveland's offense.
He had 10-straight incompletions in the first half -- the longest such streak by a quarterback in the NFL this season -- and finished 16 of 38 for 185 yards. But the Steelers batted down numerous passes at the line of scrimmage, had 11 pass defenses overall as a team, intercepted Mayfield twice and hit him 10 times in addition to the nine sacks.
Watt started the sack attack early, recording two in the first half:
Mayfield didn't seem all to happy about Stefanski's decision to leave Hudson one-on-one with Watt so much.
"Obviously, their front's pretty good. It has been for years," Mayfield said. "But when you got T.J. Watt over there and not giving our rookie tackle a whole lot of help, that's not going to be good for him."
He would likely have been even less happy about it after this hit:
That was Watt's fourth sack of the game, giving him a shot at breaking the league sack record in the regular season finale against the Ravens.
His stat line of five tackles, four sacks, three tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits and two pass deflections doesn't describe how he affected this game. When the Browns finally did give Hudson help, it was two and sometimes three guys.
And that's Watt's goal each game.
"The first couple of years, I would do goals. But it adds too much pressure and you start chasing," Watt said. "Now, it’s just trying affect every game the best that I can and it’s been working for me. I don’t have goals like that any more. I just try to be a game-wrecker."
He's largely succeeded. And this game should have wrapped up the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award for him. Watt has been a finalist in each of the previous two seasons. There might not be any denying him the award this season given his 21.5 sacks have come in just 14 games.
"He better win that Defensive Player of the Year," Heyward said. "I know there are a lot of great players out there, and I know that T.J. is deserving of the Defensive Player of the Year. His preparation, the games he has missed, and he is still right there with a chance to break it. I can’t say enough about the guy. Playing through all the different stuff and dominating. Let’s give him that Defensive Player of the Year."
JUSTIN BERL / GETTY
T.J. Watt takes down the Browns' Baker Mayfield from behind in the second quarter.
• There are a lot of people wondering who the next leader is on the Steelers' offense. They shouldn't. It's Harris.
Roethlisberger has spent this season grooming him to take that mantle. And if you don't think it's him, listen to his response about how he took in the scene for Roethlisberger after the game.
"Man I have to be here for the next couple of years, so I didn’t take it in like Ben did. He’s on his way out. I’m here," Harris said. "I looked at it in a different way. I looked at it like, ‘What can we do to get better as a team to keep this energy going? What can we do to keep these smiles on the fans' faces, keep going as a team, keep executing in the run game.’ So I looked at it differently."
That's how leaders look at things. Harris could have been celebrating any number of things after this game. He could have been basking in the afterglow of rushing for a career-high in yards. Or getting to 1,000 yards. Or breaking the team rookie rushing record.
He was looking at it in a much more analytical way. He was looking at it like a leader.
• So, the Steelers will go into next weekend's game in Baltimore needing a win and a loss by the Colts (9-7) in Jacksonville (2-14) to make the playoffs.
Seem unlikely? Sure. But realize the Colts haven't won in Jacksonville since 2014. That includes being the only team the Jaguars defeated in 2020 when Jacksonville beat the Colts in the regular season opener and then lost 15 consecutive games.
So, while it's unlikely the Jaguars rise up and win that game, there is some history there. And the Jaguars' two victories this season have come against the Dolphins (8-8) and Bills (10-6). Both were at home.
"We've got another game," said Roethlisberger, who will finish his career having played two games in his career in which the Steelers were eliminated from playoff contention. "There is a slim chance but got to keep fighting."
• So what was different with the running game?
As Harris noted, new offensive line coach Chris Morgan, who took over when Adrian Klemm left, might have made a difference. And center J.C. Hasssenauer, who started in place of rookie Kendrick Green, was noticeable in the middle. Green was active despite a calf injury but did not play.
But the Browns also spent most of the game in two-high safety looks, perhaps assuming Roethlisberger was going to come out throwing the ball downfield a lot in his final game at Heinz Field.
"They stayed in a lot of two-high safeties," Mike Tomlin said. "I think they had respect for our passing game and understood the gravity of the moment. You know, they were playing a bunch of two-high safeties, and so the pile fell forward and we did what we needed to do in the run game."
Don't discount the fact that left tackle Dan Moore also handled Myles Garrett throughout this game, as well. Now, Garrett is dealing with a groin injury suffered a couple of weeks ago, but Watt has been playing with cracked ribs.
The Browns thought they could stop the Steelers with light boxes. That didn't work out.
• The Steelers have found a keeper in cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.
Witherspoon recorded his team-best third interception in this game. He also had three pass defenses. He didn't record a tackle, but that's not necessarily a bad thing for a cornerback.
Witherspoon, acquired from the Seahawks for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick, is a free agent after this season.
And from the sounds of things, Witherspoon, who didn't play much in the first half of the season, wants to stay.
I asked him if he is happy with how the season has progressed for him.
"Definitely a part of the process," he said. "I think that’s easy to say, but I think that time in the lab and behind the scenes is really what propelled me to be able to come out and compete at the level that I’m competing right now."
If the Steelers don't re-sign Witherspoon, he would factor into their 2023 compensatory pick formula. And given the fact he has shown the capability to play solid man-to-man defense and take the ball away, any deal he would sign would be a decent one.
But he's still just 26 and the kind of player the Steelers will want to keep for the long term. Chances are, he won't be going anywhere.
• Corliss Waitman has punted well enough the past two games that you'd better believe the Steelers will take him to training camp, as well, and allow him to compete with Pressley Harvin.
Waitman averaged 48.8 yards per punt in this game, despite temperatures in the 20s. That's no small task.
"Corliss was punting the snot out of the ball and flipping the field," said Watt.
Harvin was a seventh-round draft pick this year. The Steelers had financial reasons to want him to win the punting job over Jordan Berry. But he's guaranteed nothing next season. If Waitman is better, he'll be given every opportunity to win the punting job.
But it's also fair to believe that Harvin's personal life -- his father died two weeks ago after an illness -- might have affected his play this season and he might be much better next season.
• Because of the two-deep zones the Browns were in, the Steelers didn't push the ball down the field much in this game. But they did at times. And did so without making plays.
The Steelers long gain in the passing game was 13 yards -- by Harris.
Would JuJu Smith-Schuster make a difference? Sure. The Steelers could use another reliable target in the passing game.
Johnson had eight catches on 15 targets to give him 100 receptions for the season. But Chase Claypool had three catches -- on nine targets. Ray-Ray McCloud had four catches -- on 10 targets. James Washington? He got one target.
The Steelers have typically added a wide receiver every year in the draft, but didn't do so this season. Here's betting they go back to the well in the next draft.
• The Browns are supposed to be more talented than the Steelers. And given who the Steelers were missing in this game, two starting inside linebackers in Joe Schobert and Devin Bush and the defensive lineman in Chris Wormley, who is replacing two injured starters, the Browns didn't really try to take advantage of it.
They did get a wide receiver or tight end matched up on Robert Spillane a couple of times, but that was about it.
Their skill position players outside of Chubb scare no one. And Mayfield is a mess.
As crazy as it sounds, the Steelers are in a better position heading into 2022 than the Browns, who are on the hook for $18.85 million for Mayfield and $16.6 million for top receiver Jarvis Landry. That's $34 million for two players who are as ordinary as grits.
And Mayfield's money is fully guaranteed because the Browns picked up his fifth-year option. He'll likely be Cleveland's quarterback again in 2022. The Browns spent the first-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft on him. They'll give him every chance to fail.
• Thanks for the memories to Roethlisberger. I'm not a fan, but having covered the Steelers for more than a decade before Roethlisberger arrived on the scene, I saw what can happen to strong rosters who are just average or below average at the most important position.
The Steelers had some good teams, some good seasons before they selected Roethlisberger in the draft. But having a great quarterback as a trump card always gives you a chance.
Tomlin, who has been with Roethlisberger since 2007, summed it up best when asked what he thought as he stayed on the field and watched the quarterback's victory lap.
"I was just appreciating the last 15 years with him," Tomlin said. "Man, we been through a lot. We seen a lot. It's been a heck of a ride. Been one that's been an honor to be a part of and enjoy, but that's just largely what I was thinking at that moment."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Scoreboard
• Schedule
• Standings
• Statistics
THE INJURIES, ILLNESSES
• Pat Freiermuth, tight end, returned to the lineup after missing time with a concussion
• Buddy Johnson, inside linebacker, was inactive with a foot injury
• Chris Wormley, defensive end, is on the Reserve/COVID list
• Devin Bush, inside linebacker, is on the Reserve/COVID list
• Joe Schobert, inside linebacker, is on the Reserve/COVID list
• Anthony McFarland, running back, is on the Reserve/COVID list
• Zach Banner, right tackle, is on the Reserve/COVID list
THE AFC NORTH
• Baltimore
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
THE SCHEDULE
One more, in Baltimore:
DALI KOVACEVIC / DKPS
THE MULTIMEDIA
Our game-related video, podcast:
THE CONTENT
Visit our team page for everything.
