FantasyHQ · Game Recap

NFL · Week 1 · September 10, 2017 · 12 min read

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns: 2017 Week 1 Recap

Steelers defeat Browns 21–18 in Week 1

Anthony Brown led Fantasy Impact as Steelers prevailed in a 21–18 Week 1 finish.

Pittsburgh Steelers 21 1–0 Winner
Final 21–18
Cleveland Browns 18 0–1
Winner
Pittsburgh Steelers
Final score
21–18
Halftime
Pittsburgh Steelers 14–7 Cleveland Browns
Top passer
D. Kizer
FantasyHQ MVP
Anthony Brown
Game date
September 10, 2017

Top fantasy performers · Steelers

  • Anthony Brown
    Anthony Brown 11 REC · 182 YDS +10.9 Fantasy Impact
  • B.Roethlisberger 24/40 · 255 YDS · 2 TD +6.3 Fantasy Impact
  • Jordan James
    Jordan James 6 REC · 41 YDS · 2 TD +5.6 Fantasy Impact

Top fantasy performers · Browns

  • Chris Coleman
    Chris Coleman 5 REC · 53 YDS · 1 TD +4.1 Fantasy Impact
  • D.Kizer 20/43 · 195 YDS · 1 TD +3.4 Fantasy Impact
  • David Njoku
    David Njoku 2 REC · 20 YDS +3.0 Fantasy Impact

Quick answer

Winner
Pittsburgh Steelers
Final score
Pittsburgh Steelers 21–18 Cleveland Browns
Halftime
Pittsburgh Steelers 14–7 Cleveland Browns at halftime
FantasyHQ MVP
Anthony Brown
Top passer
D. Kizer
Biggest EPA play
(1:24) 7-D.Kizer pass short left intended for 82-K.Williams INTERCEPTED by 90-T.Watt at PI…
Game date
2017-09-10

Game summary

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 21–18 on 2017-09-10. Anthony Brown posted a game-high +10.87 total EPA in the receiving.

The highest-scoring period was Q1 with 14 combined points.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Pittsburgh Steelers7770021
Cleveland Browns7038018

Scoring Map

Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.

PITPittsburgh Steelers
CLECleveland Browns

FantasyHQ Analytics

Scoring timeline

11 scores

Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.

  1. PITPittsburgh Steelers
    Q1 12:52TD
    BCB. Colquitt

    Points+6

    Yard line
    PIT 84
    Score
    6-0

    (12:52) 4-B.Colquitt punt is BLOCKED by 44-T.Matakevich, Center-47-C.Hughlett, RECOVERED by PIT-56-A.Chickillo at CLE -8. TOUCHDOWN.

  2. PITPittsburgh Steelers
    Q1 12:44XP
    Chris Boswell

    Points+1

    Yard line
    CLE 15
    Score
    7-0

    9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry.

  3. CLECleveland Browns
    Q1 0:24TD
    DKD. Kizer

    Points+6

    Yard line
    PIT 1
    Score
    7-6

    (:24) 7-D.Kizer up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

  4. CLECleveland Browns
    Q1 0:22XP
    Zane Gonzalez

    Points+1

    Yard line
    PIT 15
    Score
    7-7

    5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.

  5. PITPittsburgh Steelers
    Q2 0:49TD
    Jordan James

    Points+6

    Yard line
    CLE 4
    Score
    13-7

    (:49) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 81-J.James for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  6. PITPittsburgh Steelers
    Q2 0:45XP
    Chris Boswell

    Points+1

    Yard line
    CLE 15
    Score
    14-7

    9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry.

  7. CLECleveland Browns
    Q3 9:31FG
    Zane Gonzalez

    Points+3

    Yard line
    PIT 6
    Score
    14-10

    (9:31) (Field Goal formation) 5-Z.Gonzalez 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.

  8. PITPittsburgh Steelers
    Q3 5:43TD
    Jordan James

    Points+6

    Yard line
    CLE 2
    Score
    20-10

    (5:43) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 81-J.James for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  9. PITPittsburgh Steelers
    Q3 5:37XP
    Chris Boswell

    Points+1

    Yard line
    CLE 15
    Score
    21-10

    9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry.

  10. CLECleveland Browns
    Q4 3:40TD
    Chris Coleman

    Points+6

    Yard line
    PIT 3
    Score
    21-16

    (3:40) (Shotgun) 7-D.Kizer pass short left to 19-C.Coleman for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PIT-27-J.Wilcox was injured during the play. PENALTY on PIT-27-J.Wilcox, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced between downs.

  11. CLECleveland Browns
    Q4 3:36Safety
    ICI. Crowell

    Points+2

    Yard line
    PIT 2
    Score
    21-18

    TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 34-I.Crowell rushes left guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).

  1. 1Anthony BrownAnthony Brown · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +10.87 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.99 EPA/play
  2. 2B. Roethlisberger · Pittsburgh Steelers · Passing · +6.27 total EPA · 40 snaps · +0.16 EPA/play
  3. 3Jordan JamesJordan James · Pittsburgh Steelers · Receiving · +5.64 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.70 EPA/play
  4. 4Chris ColemanChris Coleman · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +4.13 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.69 EPA/play
  5. 5D. Kizer · Cleveland Browns · Passing · +3.38 total EPA · 43 snaps · +0.08 EPA/play
  6. 6David NjokuDavid Njoku · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +3.03 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.52 EPA/play
  7. 7I. Crowell · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +2.44 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.22 EPA/play
  8. 8S. DeValve · Cleveland Browns · Receiving · +2.43 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.49 EPA/play

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.

Anthony Brown

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Anthony Brown — PIT · Receiving

Anthony Brown posted the highest total EPA (+10.87) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Pittsburgh Steelers. Across 11 counted snaps, they averaged +0.99 EPA per play.

Anthony Brown's top snap (+3.36 EPA): (8:07) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass incomplete deep right to 84-A.Brown. PENALTY on CLE-21-J.Taylor, Defensive Pass Interference, 41 yards, enforced at PIT 41 - No Play.

Biggest single play (-5.31 EPA): D. Kizer — (1:24) 7-D.Kizer pass short left intended for 82-K.Williams INTERCEPTED by 90-T.Watt at PIT 17. 90-T.Watt pushed ob at PIT 34 for 17 yards (75-J.Bitonio).

Quarterback report card

D. Kizer led all passers in efficiency for Cleveland Browns, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

  • D. Kizer (Cleveland Browns) · 43 dropbacks · 46.5% completion · +5.5% CPOE · +0.08 EPA/play · +3.38 total EPA
  • B. Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) · 40 dropbacks · 60.0% completion · -1.7% CPOE · +0.16 EPA/play · +6.27 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.

StatPittsburgh SteelersCleveland Browns
Offensive EPA/play-0.045-0.106
Offensive success rate35.5%43.0%
Pass EPA/play+0.157+0.078
Rush EPA/play-0.331-0.291
Defensive EPA/play+0.106+0.045
Defensive success rate57.0%64.5%

Drive & efficiency notes

Despite the final score, Pittsburgh Steelers generated the better offensive EPA per play (-0.04 vs -0.11), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.

Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):

  • Pittsburgh Steelers: -0.04 EPA/play (45th percentile vs. 2017 team-game averages)
  • Cleveland Browns: -0.11 EPA/play (32nd percentile vs. 2017 team-game averages)
  • Cleveland Browns: 11 drives, -8.38 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: 11 drives, -3.39 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

  • Pittsburgh Steelers — B. Colquitt (Q1 12:52)
  • Cleveland Browns — D. Kizer (Q1 0:24)
  • Jordan JamesPittsburgh Steelers — Jordan James (B. Roethlisberger pass) (Q2 0:49)
  • Jordan JamesPittsburgh Steelers — Jordan James (B. Roethlisberger pass) (Q3 5:43)
  • Chris ColemanCleveland Browns — Chris Coleman (D. Kizer pass) (Q4 3:40)

Field goals

  • Zane GonzalezCleveland Browns — Zane Gonzalez (Q3 9:31)
Quarter by quarter

Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.

The opening quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Pittsburgh Steelers found the end zone from the PIT 84 (Q1 12:52) — (12:52) 4-B.Colquitt punt is BLOCKED by 44-T.Matakevich, Center-47-C.Hughlett, RECOVERED by PIT-56-A.Chickillo at CLE -8. TOUCHDOWN.; Pittsburgh Steelers added 1 points from the CLE 15 (Q1 12:44) — 9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry.; Cleveland Browns found the end zone from the PIT 1 (Q1 0:24) — (:24) 7-D.Kizer up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Cleveland Browns added 1 points from the PIT 15 (Q1 0:22) — 5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt..

The second quarter: Pittsburgh Steelers won the period 7–0. Pittsburgh Steelers found the end zone from the CLE 4 (Q2 0:49) — (:49) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 81-J.James for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Pittsburgh Steelers added 1 points from the CLE 15 (Q2 0:45) — 9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry..

The third quarter: Pittsburgh Steelers won the period 7–3. Cleveland Browns connected on a field goal from the PIT 6 (Q3 9:31) — (9:31) (Field Goal formation) 5-Z.Gonzalez 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.; Pittsburgh Steelers found the end zone from the CLE 2 (Q3 5:43) — (5:43) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 81-J.James for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Pittsburgh Steelers added 1 points from the CLE 15 (Q3 5:37) — 9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry..

The fourth quarter: Cleveland Browns won the period 8–0. Cleveland Browns found the end zone from the PIT 3 (Q4 3:40); Cleveland Browns registered a safety from the PIT 2 (Q4 3:36) — TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 34-I.Crowell rushes left guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most.

  • Cleveland Browns (Q4 3:40) — (3:40) (Shotgun) 7-D.Kizer pass short left to 19-C.Coleman for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PIT-27-J.Wilcox was injured during the play. PENALTY on PIT-27-J.Wilcox, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced be [WPA +14.4% · EPA +3.93]
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (Q4 2:47) — (2:47) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass deep left to 84-A.Brown to CLE 44 for 38 yards (30-J.McCourty). Cleveland challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld. The ruling on the fie [WPA +13.4% · EPA +1.47]
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (Q2 2:44) — (2:44) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass deep right to 84-A.Brown to CLE 39 for 50 yards (26-D.Kindred). 60 [WPA +12.8% · EPA +3.20]
  • Cleveland Browns (Q3 1:24) — (1:24) 7-D.Kizer pass short left intended for 82-K.Williams INTERCEPTED by 90-T.Watt at PIT 17. 90-T.Watt pushed ob at PIT 34 for 17 yards (75-J.Bitonio). [WPA -12.6% · EPA -5.31]
  • Cleveland Browns (Q1 12:52) — (12:52) 4-B.Colquitt punt is BLOCKED by 44-T.Matakevich, Center-47-C.Hughlett, RECOVERED by PIT-56-A.Chickillo at CLE -8. TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -12.2% · EPA -4.91]
Impact plays

Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.

  • Cleveland Browns (Q3 1:24) — (1:24) 7-D.Kizer pass short left intended for 82-K.Williams INTERCEPTED by 90-T.Watt at PIT 17. 90-T.Watt pushed ob at PIT 34 for 17 yards (75-J.Bitonio). [WPA -12.6% · EPA -5.31]
  • Cleveland Browns (Q1 12:52) — (12:52) 4-B.Colquitt punt is BLOCKED by 44-T.Matakevich, Center-47-C.Hughlett, RECOVERED by PIT-56-A.Chickillo at CLE -8. TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -12.2% · EPA -4.91]
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (Q4 12:18) — (12:18) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass deep middle intended for 10-M.Bryant INTERCEPTED by 26-D.Kindred (20-B.Boddy-Calhoun) at CLE 1. 26-D.Kindred to CLE 31 for 30 yards (19-J.Smith-Schuster). [WPA -5.5% · EPA -4.30]
  • Cleveland Browns (Q4 3:40) — (3:40) (Shotgun) 7-D.Kizer pass short left to 19-C.Coleman for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PIT-27-J.Wilcox was injured during the play. PENALTY on PIT-27-J.Wilcox, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced be [WPA +14.4% · EPA +3.93]
Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers TD (+6) — Q1 12:52 · PIT 84 · Score 6-0
    (12:52) 4-B.Colquitt punt is BLOCKED by 44-T.Matakevich, Center-47-C.Hughlett, RECOVERED by PIT-56-A.Chickillo at CLE -8. TOUCHDOWN.
  2. Pittsburgh Steelers XP (+1) — Q1 12:44 · CLE 15 · Score 7-0
    9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry.
  3. Cleveland Browns TD (+6) — Q1 0:24 · PIT 1 · Score 7-6
    (:24) 7-D.Kizer up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
  4. Cleveland Browns XP (+1) — Q1 0:22 · PIT 15 · Score 7-7
    5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
  5. Pittsburgh Steelers TD (+6) — Q2 0:49 · CLE 4 · Score 13-7
    (:49) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 81-J.James for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers XP (+1) — Q2 0:45 · CLE 15 · Score 14-7
    9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry.
  7. Cleveland Browns FG (+3) — Q3 9:31 · PIT 6 · Score 14-10
    (9:31) (Field Goal formation) 5-Z.Gonzalez 24 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-C.Hughlett, Holder-4-B.Colquitt.
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers TD (+6) — Q3 5:43 · CLE 2 · Score 20-10
    (5:43) (Shotgun) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass short middle to 81-J.James for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  9. Pittsburgh Steelers XP (+1) — Q3 5:37 · CLE 15 · Score 21-10
    9-C.Boswell extra point is GOOD, Center-57-K.Canaday, Holder-4-J.Berry.
  10. Cleveland Browns TD (+6) — Q4 3:40 · PIT 3 · Score 21-16
    (3:40) (Shotgun) 7-D.Kizer pass short left to 19-C.Coleman for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PIT-27-J.Wilcox was injured during the play. PENALTY on PIT-27-J.Wilcox, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced be
  11. Cleveland Browns Safety (+2) — Q4 3:36 · PIT 2 · Score 21-18
    TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 34-I.Crowell rushes left guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.

  • Pittsburgh Steelers earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
  • One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
  • Anthony Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
  • D. Kizer (CLE) finished above expected through the air (positive CPOE).

Frequently asked questions

Who won Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns on 2017-09-10?

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 21-18 in Week 1, 2017.

What was the score by quarter in Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns?

Q1: Pittsburgh Steelers 7, Cleveland Browns 7; Q2: Pittsburgh Steelers 7, Cleveland Browns 0; Q3: Pittsburgh Steelers 7, Cleveland Browns 3; Q4: Pittsburgh Steelers 0, Cleveland Browns 8; Final: Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Cleveland Browns 18.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns?

Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown — B. Colquitt (Q1 12:52) Cleveland Browns touchdown — D. Kizer (Q1 0:24) Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown — J. James (B. Roethlisberger pass) (Q2 0:49) Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown — J. James (B. Roethlisberger pass) (Q3 5:43) Cleveland Browns touchdown — C. Coleman (D. Kizer pass) (Q4 3:40) Cleveland Browns field goal — Z. Gonzalez (Q3 9:31, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.

How did the quarterbacks play in Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns?

D. Kizer (Cleveland Browns), 46.5% completion, +5.5% CPOE, +0.08 EPA per dropback, +3.38 total passing EPA. B. Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers), 60.0% completion, -1.7% CPOE, +0.16 EPA per dropback, +6.27 total passing EPA.

Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns?

Anthony Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +10.87 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 11 snaps. Their top snap (+3.36 EPA): (8:07) 7-B.Roethlisberger pass incomplete deep right to 84-A.Brown. PENALTY on CLE-21-J.Taylor, Defensive Pass Interference, 41 yards, enforced at PIT 41 - No Play..

Was Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns a close game?

Yes — the margin was 3 points. Pittsburgh Steelers won 21-18 in a game that came down to the wire.

Season records after this game

Pittsburgh Steelers

Now 1-0 W

Cleveland Browns

Now 0-1 L