Watch: Pierre pick ends Browns comeback attempt
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On Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was dominant in their Week 14 game with the Cleveland Browns. As the final stretch of the 2024 NFL regular season kicked off, the Steelers were also able to take advantage of errors the Browns made on the field at Acrisure Stadium to move to 10-3 on the season, earning a 27-14 victory.
Following a fourth quarter Cleveland touchdown, the Steelers offense turned the ball over to the Browns when Cordarrelle Patterson lost a fumble at midfield. Set up at the 50-yard line, Browns quarterback Jameis Winston made a critical error on the second play of the new offensive series to give the ball right back to Pittsburgh.
On 1st & 10 at the Pittsburgh 39, Winston took the snap from shotgun, operating the no-huddle offense with just 4:07 left in the game. Winston, pressured from the blind side by Alex Highsmith, let the ball go, deep, intending to hit receiver Elijah Moore. Instead, the ball sailed a bit deeper – right into the arms of cornerback James Pierre.
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It was the first interception for Pierre, who has shared snaps as a secondary defensive back in the rotation, this season and just the third in his career. The takeaway essentially slammed the door shut on any chance of a Browns offensive comeback.
The pick was the second of the game for the Steelers; Keeanu Benton grabbed his career-first interception on a screen play in the second quarter.