Posted by Mike Wilkening on September 7, 2014, 4:43 PM EDT
After receiving the scare of all scares from the resurgent Browns, the Steelers got their bearings in the nick of time, pulling out a 30-27 victory on Shaun Suisham 's 41-yard field goal as time expired Sunday at Heinz Field.
The game-winner was set up by Ben Roethlsberger's 20-yard pass to Markus Wheaton. After a Roethlisberger spike, Suisham connected on his third field goal of the contest.
The Steelers' offense dominated in the first half, with Pittsburgh taking a 27-3 lead after two quarters. However, Cleveland's offense, in a performance that surely didn't hurt Brian Hoyer's cause to keep the starting job, responded with a strong second half, even with tight end Jordan Cameron (shoulder) and tailback Ben Tate (knee) leaving the lineup with injuries. Rookie tailback Terrance West (100 yards rushing) had a promising NFL debut, and fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell scored a pair of rushing TDs for Cleveland.
When Hoyer connected with Travis Benjamin for a nine-yard TD with 11:15 in regulation, the Browns had tied the Steelers at 27. But Pittsburgh's defense dug in thereafter, stopping one drive at the Steelers' 35 - just outside of comfortable field goal range at Heinz Field - then forcing a three-and-out on Cleveland's final series, giving the ball back to Roethlisberger and Co.
In the end, both clubs probably came away feeling good about their offenses. Roethlisberger (365 yards passing, one TD) was sharp, and tailback Le'Veon Bell racked up 197 combined yards for Pittsburgh in victory.
That said, the Steelers' second-half defensive fade was surely a disappointing sight for the club. Cleveland's defense, meanwhile, rallied only after offering not much first-half resistance.
The Steelers return to action in just four days at Baltimore, which lost its opener. The Browns host 0-1 New Orleans on Sunday .
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