Cleveland Browns and Steelers first half highlights all Browns

The Cleveland Browns are looking for their second win in a row and have just gone to the half up by a score of 14-0 over the Pittsburgh Steelers

The first half of the Cleveland Browns vs Steelers Thursday Night Football game produced several outstanding performances as the Browns got off to a 14-0 lead.

The game started out well for the Browns, with a great stop by Greedy Williams on James Conner, followed by another stuffed run. Then Mason Rudolph had to throw the ball away to avoid a sack.

It seemed like everyone in the world was telling Freddie Kitchens to stay on the ground and avoid over-reliance on the deep ball to OBJ. So, of course, they went airborne, highlighted by a 42-yard bomb to OBJ. A quarterback sneak put the pigskin in the end zone for the Browns first touchdown.

Khadarel Hodge made a spectacular catch and run after the catch.  It seemed the Steelers had him dead to rights but he kept running and spinning and when it was over, it was a 59-yard play, though it was reduced to 41 yards after the officials decided he was down by contact. Hodge also drew a blatant pass interference call in the end zone prior to the second touch down.

The Browns continued to eschew the run, even when it was clear that the defense was gassed and needed some recuperation time. Consuming some time with a first down would have been very helpful. Nevertheless, the temptation to chuck the pigskin was too tempting, as Kitchens continued to call for pass plays.

Kareem Hunt has fresh legs after a year’s sabbatical at the invitation of Commissioner Goodell. So why not use him?

Defensively, the  Browns defense began the game by stuffing James Conner twice and then forcing Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph to throw the ball away to avoid taking a sack. Connor would later leave the game with a recurrence of the shoulder injury that caused him to miss two games.

As for the Steelers, quarterback Mason Rudolph made the right throws and avoided the risky ones.  Critics will say he is a game manager, but that is exactly what the Steelers want with their top guy, Ben Roethlisberger out for the year.  However, the defensive line put pressure on Rudolph the entire first half.  Chad Thomas had a sack as did Juston Burris.

JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington had their moments.  The biggest offensive plays by Pittsburgh were drawing penalties, including a pass interference call on Denzel Ward.  However, a  collision left Smith-Schuster groggy and it was believed that he would not return.

Perhaps feeling a bit desperate with both Smith-Schuster and Conner out, Tomlin sent in a flea-flicker, which resulted in Rudolph being picked off by former Steeler Morgan Burnett, after a tip from a leaping Denzel Ward.  However, the Browns did not turn that into points.

The Browns went into halftime with a commanding 14 point lead.