2002 AFC Wild Card:
January 5, 2003
Cleveland Browns at
Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field,
Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 27 °F (−3
°C), light snow
In 2001, the Pittsburgh Steelers
were in the playoffs for the first time since 1997. In their tenth season under
head coach, Bill Cowher, they finished 13-3 and looked like they were heading
to the Super Bowl, but were stopped short in the AFC Championship Game by the
New England Patriots. In 2002, the team was 10-5-1 but still managed to capture
the AFC North title. They had Tommy Maddox at quarterback (Ben Roethlisberger
was still a couple of years away) and Jerome Bettis and Amos Zereoue as their
two running backs. The pair had combined for over 1400 yards.
The reincarnation of the
Cleveland Browns had happened in 1999, four years after the original team
departed for Baltimore. Despite having a 2-14 season in 1999, the Browns slowly
got better and finished the 2002 season with a 9-7 record, and after all the
tie-breaking scenarios worked themselves out, the Browns had the second wild
card and the right to play in Pittsburgh on the first Sunday of the playoffs.
The Browns got off to a quick
start as quarterback, Kelly Holcomb, hooked up with receiver Kevin Johnson for
an 83-yard pass to set up William Green’s one-yard touchdown run and the Browns
were up 7-0. Cleveland then extended their lead to 14 when Holcomb threw a TD
pass to Dennis Northcutt. The Steelers cut the lead in half on Antwaan Randle
El’s 66-yard punt return. Cleveland added a field goal and took a 17-7 lead
into the locker room at half time.
The two teams traded touchdowns
in the third quarter. First it was Cleveland when Northcutt scored his second
of the day on a 15-yard pass from Holcomb. Pittsburgh responded when Maddox hit
Plaxico Burress for a six-yard score. That made the score 24-14 at the end of
three quarters, setting up a wild and thrilling fourth.
A Cleveland field goal made the
score 27-14, but Maddox guided the Steelers the length of the field and
connected with tight end, Jerame Tuman on a three-yard pass: 27-21.
The Browns responded when
Holcomb threw another TD pass—his third of the day—to Andre Davis. A two-point
convert attempt failed, but the Cleveland lead was now 33-21. However,
Pittsburgh marched down the field again and after a 77-yard drive and a
five-yard Maddox touchdown pass to Hines Ward, the Cleveland lead was five at
33-28. Time was running out on the Steelers, though, as only three minutes
remained.
When the Browns took possession
after the kick off, they tried to work the clock and leave the Steelers with no
time left. A dropped pass on a third-and-twelve, that if converted, could have
ended the game, forced Cleveland to punt the ball back to Pittsburgh, who took
over on their own 42.
Maddox threw passes of 24 yards
to Burress, ten to Ward, 17 to Burress and seven to Ward, bringing the ball
down to the Browns’ three-yard line. Fullback, Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala finished
the drive by running in from three yards out and the Steelers connected on
their two-point attempt and took a 36-33 lead. However, Cleveland still had
time remaining to tie, perhaps win the wild game.
With the seconds ticking away,
Holcomb connected on a 16-yard pass to Andre King at the Steelers’ 29-yard
line. But the Browns were out of time-outs and couldn’t stop the clock. They
were unable to get another snap and time expired with the Steelers ahead.
Maddox finished the game with
367 yards passing and three touchdowns, while Holcomb threw for 429 yards and
three touchdowns. Although the Steelers would lose to the Tennessee Titans the
following week, the ground work was laid for a run that would culminate in a
Super Bowl triumph three years later. As for the Browns, their fortunes turned
the other way as they haven’t been back to the playoffs since and their
prospects don’t look good for the foreseeable future.
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