Read the reports from Sunday’s NFL games.
Dustin Hopkins made a 34-yard field goal with two seconds left after rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed four straight passes and the Cleveland Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 on Sunday.
In his second NFL start, Thompson-Robinson helped the Browns (7-3) win, days after starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a shoulder injury. His season is over.
With the crowd chanting “DTR” and Watson watching from the sideline, Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round selection, completed four passes for 29 yards to set the stage for Hopkins’ game-clinching field goal.
Last week, Hopkins put the ball between the posts 40 yards on the final play of the game to give his team a 33-31 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns thus defeated the Ravens and the Steelers (6-4) in two consecutive weeks for the first time in 15 attempts. And Thompson-Robinson’s performance, while inconsistent at times, gave the Browns hope that this season could still be special despite Watson’s absence.
The Steelers had fewer yards than their opponents for a 10e week in a row and couldn’t do much against the Browns’ defensive unit, ranked first in the league.
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had a 74-yard rushing touchdown and finished the game with a career-high 129 yards.
The Steelers turned to their own defensive unit in the second half, which did a good job of holding back Thompson-Robinson until the final moments.
The Browns took the ball at their own 35 with 1:18 left, and the quarterback had runs of 15, five, eight and 11 yards to advance the ball to the Steelers’ 34. The latter then received a penalty to bring the Steelers a little closer to the end zone.
It’s a rare Steelers defeat at the end of a close game. They had won their last nine games decided by eight points or less, including six this season.
The second half proved to be a battle of defensive units and possession.
The Steelers took Warren off the field for an offensive sequence before he made two nice runs to set up Chris Boswell’s 28-yard field goal, which tied the game with 7:40 remaining.
After being limited to 64 yards in the first half, the Steelers amassed 74 on their second play of the third quarter.
Warren found an opening on the right side, avoided a tackle from cornerback Greg Newsome II and outran every other defensive player to make the Steelers’ longest play of the season.
It was also the longest run for the Pennsylvania club since 2014.
Myles Garrett set the tone for the Browns defensive unit, sacking Kenny Pickett on the first play.
Tom Withers, Associated Press