Game story
In Week 14 of the 2011 NFL season on 2011-12-08, the Pittsburgh Steelers took care of business against the Cleveland Browns, pulling away with a 14–3 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q1 with 10 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
C. McCoy (Cleveland Browns) paced the passing game, with -6.93 total EPA, and -3.8% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, A. Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +13.23 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-21.9% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Cleveland Browns changed the game: (3:19) (Shotgun) 12-C.McCoy pass deep left intended for 11-M.Massaquoi INTERCEPTED by 22-W.Gay at PIT -4. Touchback.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q4 | — | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 A. Brown · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +13.23 total EPA · 8 snaps · +1.65 EPA/play
- 2 B. Roethlisberger · Pittsburgh Steelers · Passing · +6.05 total EPA · 25 snaps · +0.24 EPA/play
- 3 C. Ogbonnaya · Cleveland Browns · Rushing · +3.80 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.90 EPA/play
- 4 J. Cribbs · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +3.56 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.78 EPA/play
- 5 M. Wallace · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +3.27 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.65 EPA/play
- 6 J. Cotchery · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +3.12 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.04 EPA/play
- 7 S. Wallace · Cleveland Browns · Passing · +1.55 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.55 EPA/play
- 8 M. Hardesty · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +1.46 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.73 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
A. Brown — PIT · Receiving
A. Brown posted the highest total EPA (+13.23) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Pittsburgh Steelers's efficiency. Across 8 counted snaps, they averaged +1.65 EPA per play.
The signature play (+6.85 EPA) came from Pittsburgh Steelers: (3:05) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 84-A.Brown for 79 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Pittsburgh Steelers — J. Cotchery (B. Roethlisberger pass)
- Pittsburgh Steelers — A. Brown (B. Roethlisberger pass)
Field goals
- Cleveland Browns — P. Dawson
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Pittsburgh Steelers won the period 7–3. Cleveland Browns connected on a field goal from the PIT 2 (Q1 54:26) — (9:26) (Field Goal formation) 4-P.Dawson 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-C.Yount, Holder-7-B.Maynard.; Pittsburgh Steelers found the end zone from the CLE 11 (Q1 51:19) — (6:19) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 89-J.Cotchery for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN [92-J.Mitchell].; Pittsburgh Steelers added 1 points from the CLE 2 (Q1 51:12) — 6-S.Suisham extra point is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-13-J.Kapinos..
The fourth quarter: Pittsburgh Steelers won the period 7–0. Pittsburgh Steelers found the end zone from the CLE 79 (Q4 3:05) — (3:05) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 84-A.Brown for 79 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Pittsburgh Steelers added 1 points from the CLE 2 (Q4 2:52) — 6-S.Suisham extra point is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-13-J.Kapinos..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 3:19) — (3:19) (Shotgun) 12-C.McCoy pass deep left intended for 11-M.Massaquoi INTERCEPTED by 22-W.Gay at PIT -4. Touchback.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q4 3:05) — (3:05) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 84-A.Brown for 79 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q4 7:25) — (7:25) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass deep middle intended for 83-H.Miller INTERCEPTED by 20-M.Adams at CLE 15. 20-M.Adams pushed ob at CLE 44 for 29 yards (64-D.Legursky).
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 5:59) — (5:59) 12-C.McCoy pass short left to 31-M.Hardesty to PIT 34 for 5 yards (24-I.Taylor) [92-J.Harrison]. CLE-12-C.McCoy was injured during the play. CLE-81-A.Smith was injured during the play. PENALTY
- Cleveland Browns (Q4 3:35) — (3:35) 12-C.McCoy pass incomplete short right. PENALTY on CLE-12-C.McCoy, Intentional Grounding, 10 yards, enforced at PIT 6.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q4 3:05) — (3:05) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 84-A.Brown for 79 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Cleveland Browns (Q2 42:52) — (12:52) 12-C.McCoy pass short right intended for 89-E.Moore INTERCEPTED by 43-T.Polamalu at CLE 43. 43-T.Polamalu to CLE 10 for 33 yards (82-B.Watson).
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q2 43:34) — (13:34) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 86-H.Ward to CLE 15 for 6 yards (56-K.Maiava). FUMBLES (56-K.Maiava), RECOVERED by CLE-24-S.Brown at CLE 15. 24-S.Brown to CLE 15 for no gain (86-H.Ward).
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Q2 42:40) — (12:40) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 83-H.Miller to CLE 8 for 7 yards (23-J.Haden). FUMBLES (23-J.Haden), RECOVERED by CLE-52-D.Jackson at CLE 8. 52-D.Jackson to CLE 9 for 1 yard (83-H.Mille
Quarterback report card
C.McCoy led all passers in efficiency for Cleveland Browns, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- C.McCoy (Cleveland Browns) · 45 dropbacks · 40.0% completion · -3.8% CPOE · -0.15 EPA/play · -6.93 total EPA
- B.Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) · 25 dropbacks · 64.0% completion · +14.2% CPOE · +0.24 EPA/play · +6.05 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.140 | -0.022 |
| Offensive success rate | 40.5% | 40.0% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.117 | +0.125 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.211 | -0.072 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.022 | +0.140 |
| Defensive success rate | 60.0% | 59.5% |
By the numbers
Pittsburgh Steelers held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (-0.02 vs -0.14), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Cleveland Browns: 11 drives, -11.72 total EPA, 1 scoring drives
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 11 drives, -1.53 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Pittsburgh Steelers leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- A. Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- C. McCoy (CLE) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
- B. Roethlisberger (PIT) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Cleveland Browns FG (+3) — Q1 54:26 · PIT 2 · Score 3-0
(9:26) (Field Goal formation) 4-P.Dawson 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-C.Yount, Holder-7-B.Maynard. - Pittsburgh Steelers TD (+6) — Q1 51:19 · CLE 11 · Score 3-6
(6:19) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short left to 89-J.Cotchery for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN [92-J.Mitchell]. - Pittsburgh Steelers XP (+1) — Q1 51:12 · CLE 2 · Score 3-7
6-S.Suisham extra point is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-13-J.Kapinos. - Pittsburgh Steelers TD (+6) — Q4 3:05 · CLE 79 · Score 3-13
(3:05) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 84-A.Brown for 79 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Pittsburgh Steelers XP (+1) — Q4 2:52 · CLE 2 · Score 3-14
6-S.Suisham extra point is GOOD, Center-60-G.Warren, Holder-13-J.Kapinos.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 14-3 in Week 14, 2011 on 2011-12-08.
What was the final score of Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
The final score was Cleveland Browns 3, Pittsburgh Steelers 14 (CLE 3-14 PIT) in Week 14, 2011 on 2011-12-08.
What was the score by quarter in Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
Q1: Cleveland Browns 3, Pittsburgh Steelers 7; Q4: Cleveland Browns 0, Pittsburgh Steelers 7; Final: Cleveland Browns 3, Pittsburgh Steelers 14.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown — J. Cotchery (B. Roethlisberger pass) (Q1 51:19) Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown — A. Brown (B. Roethlisberger pass) (Q4 3:05) Cleveland Browns field goal — P. Dawson (Q1 54:26, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
C. McCoy (Cleveland Browns), 40.0% completion, -3.8% CPOE, -0.15 EPA per dropback, -6.93 total passing EPA. B. Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers), 64.0% completion, +14.2% CPOE, +0.24 EPA per dropback, +6.05 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers?
A. Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) led the game in total EPA with +13.23 on receiving plays. across 8 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+6.85 EPA): (3:05) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short right to 84-A.Brown for 79 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was -21.9%.
Season records after this game
Cleveland Browns
Entered 4-8 Now 4-9 L
Pittsburgh Steelers
Entered 9-3 Now 10-3 W
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