UNDATED (AP) — The task for the Cleveland Browns was simple. They had to win in a stadium where they had dropped 17 straight and do it without their head coach. Mission accomplished as the Browns built a 35-10 halftime lead before completing a 48-37 win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Baker Mayfield threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns, including a screen pass that Nick Chubb turned into a 40-yard score. Chubb’s TD catch halted Pittsburgh’s momentum after the Steelers had pulled within 12.
Kareem Hunt added 48 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while Cleveland’s defense forced five turnovers to hand the Steelers a staggering loss.
For the Browns, it was their first postseason victory in 26 years and their first playoff road win since December 1969.
The Browns played without first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski, Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and top cornerback Denzel Ward after all tested positive for COVID-19.
The 48 points were the most the Steelers have given up in the playoffs, surpassing the 45 they gave up to Jacksonville in the 2017 playoffs.
Meanwhile, strong defense was on full display during the first two NFL playoff games on Sunday. The New Orleans Saints kept Chicago out of the end zone until the final play after the Baltimore Ravens stifled the NFL’s top running back.
Drew Brees threw for two touchdowns and Alvin Kamara ran for 99 yards and a score in the Saints’ 21-9 victory over the Bears. Brees tossed an 11-yard TD pass to Michael Thomas to open the scoring. He later connected with Latavius Murray for a 6-yard score late in the third quarter, shortly after the Bears committed a neutral zone infraction on fourth-and-3 at the Chicago 13.
Brees also had his first career playoff rushing TD until replay showed he failed to cross the goal line.
Kamara capped the scoring with a one-yard run midway through the fourth quarter.
The Saints kept the Bears out of the end zone until Mitchell Trubisky hit Jimmy Graham for a TD as time expired.
The Ravens have advanced in the AFC playoffs by giving Lamar Jackson plenty of running room while shutting down NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry.
Jackson ran for 136 yards and a long touchdown as the Ravens rallied from an early 10-0 deficit to beat the Titans, 20-13 in Tennessee. The Baltimore quarterback tied the game late in the first half with a 48-yard scoring burst that erased a 10-3 deficit.
Jackson also threw for 179 yards as the Ravens won for the first time in 22 games when trailing by at least 10 points.
Henry had his worst performance this season with 18 carries for 40 yards. The All-Pro ran all over the Ravens with 328 yards rushing combined in the past two meetings.
The Titans had the ball and a chance to tie when Marcus Peters intercepted Ryan Tannehill’s pass intended for Kalif Raymond with 1:50 left.
Tannehill and the Titans were held to 209 net yards.
