Steelers Overcome Turnovers To Beat Browns 27-14

PITTSBURGH —Ben Roethlisberger passed for 417 yards and the Steelers outgained the Browns 543-197. The edge in first downs was 28-12. By every statistical measure, the Steelers’ 27-14 victory in an increasingly one-sided rivalry didn’t look close at all.

Then again, neither did a first-down measurement that somehow went the Steelers’ way late in the second quarter on Sunday.

If it wasn’t for one inch - one slender inch the Steelers weren’t certain they made, one the Browns were convinced that wasn’t gained - Pittsburgh might not have withstood four irritating but ultimately inconsequential turnovers.

A Browns offense that couldn’t have looked much worse might have felt much better about itself after driving for only its fourth touchdown in 12 games early in the third quarter. And a game in which the Steelers (4-2) didn’t appear to have any chance of losing might have been much, much closer than envisioned.

One tiny inch.

With the Steelers leading 14-7 late in the second quarter, Roethlisberger was stopped by the Cleveland defense on a fourth-down sneak from the Browns’ 14-yard line. The Browns’ defenders watched as the chains were stretched, then started running off the field yelling and celebrating.

Only one problem - even as TV replays apparently showed the ball short of the stick, referee Walt Anderson surprised both teams by signaling first down.

“It was a close play - and we got lucky,“ said Roethlisberger, who accelerated slowly on some spongy grass as he drove into the line.

Anderson explained the TV angle might have been deceptive, and that the ball only needs to be touching the plane of the yard marker - much like a football doesn’t need to cross the goal line on a touchdown, only touch the plane.

“If you shot that angle from the other side, it might actually look like it’s further in advance of the stake of what it was,“ Anderson said.

The Steelers could only say thanks.

“I saw all the Cleveland guys arguing and yelling, so it was, well, the referee knows the rules better than I do,“ tackle Max Starks said. “If he says first down, it’s a first down.“

Afterward, the Browns (1-5) refused to blame the call for their 12th consecutive loss and 18th in 19 games to a rival that, for years, has been out of Cleveland’s league.

“He made the call; you have to live with it,“ said linebacker David Bowens, who had a fumble recovery and a sack. “I don’t know if there was (an explanation). He just said first down and that’s it. We’ll have to look at it on tape, but I was right there when they measured it.“

Roethlisberger’s apparent 13-yard TD pass to Hines Ward two plays later was taken away on replay because Ward lost control of the ball as he rolled out of bounds. But there was no overturning a first-down call that ended up resulting in Jeff Reed’s 32-yard field goal.

The ruling meant the Browns (1-5) trailed 17-14 instead of being tied at 14 after driving for Derek Anderson’s 1-yard TD pass to Lawrence Vickers early in the third quarter.

Despite all the mistakes, the Browns never slowed Roethlisberger (23 of 35) in only his second career 400-yard game and the Steelers’ first 500-yard game since 2006. Ward made eight catches for 159 yards and a touchdown and Santonio Holmes (5 catches for 104 yards) had his first 100-yard game since the opener against Tennessee.

“It was kind of reminiscent of when Tommy Maddox was here, we were slinging the ball around,“ said Ward, whose 52-yard scoring catch put the Steelers up 14-0 in the second quarter.

On Sunday, Roethlisberger will be slinging it against Brett Favre and the Vikings (6-0), a matchup even the Steelers’ defense can’t wait to see.

“I know I’m excited,“ safety Ryan Clark said.

For the Browns, there wasn’t much to get excited about except for Joshua Cribbs’ 98-yard kickoff return touchdown, his eighth career return score and his third against Pittsburgh, and the occasional plays he made out of the wildcat offense. The Browns also had four turnovers.

The Browns ran the wildcat on about one-quarter of their plays, and were in position to take an early lead until Cribbs was intercepted by Troy Polamalu late in the first quarter.

With so little offense in their last 12 games, it’s hardly surprising the Browns have lost 11 of them.

“I’ve got to be better,“ said Anderson, who was 9 of 24 for 122 yards. “I’ve got to give them better chances to catch it and be more precise with my throws. ... And, no, Josh isn’t going to play quarterback.“