January 5, 2003 at Heinz Field Steelers 36, Browns 33 AFC Wild Card Playoff Game
The Steelers won the AFC North and were rewarded with an AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Heinz Field on a snowy day. And they got a fired up Browns team, who got into the playoffs with a 9-7 record, to kick off the postseason.
Photo recap of the 2002 match up between the Steelers and Browns.
The Browns jumped off to a 14-0 lead, but Antwaan Randle El got the Steelers on the board with a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown. The Browns came right back though, and extended the lead to 24-7 in the third quarter when Tommy Maddox hit Plaxico Burress for a six-yard touchdown. The back and forth scoring continued, with the Steelers down 33-21 in the fourth quarter and the season slipping away.
The Steelers weren't to be denied on this day. Maddox hit Hines Ward for a five-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 33-28 with 3:06 to play. After a defensive stop, the Steelers offense went back to work and capped their game-winning drive with a Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afal three-yard touchdown run and they tacked on the two-point conversion for a 36-33 win with under a minute left to play.
November 25, 1979 at Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 33, Browns 30 OT
When it came to Steelers-Browns games in the 1970s, there was never a dull moment. And on this November afternoon there was nothing but excitement when the two teams met at Three Rivers Stadium.
The Browns jumped out to a 10-0, but the Steelers got on the board with a 45-yard Matt Bahr field goal. The teams then exchanged field goals, with the Browns ahead 13-6.
The Browns extended their lead to 20-6, but Franco Harris helped the Steelers cut into the lead with a two-yard touchdown reception from Terry Bradshaw before halftime.
The Browns came out of the half strong and went up 27-13, but the Steelers would fight back when Harris caught his second two-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 27-20. The Browns added a third field goal for a 10-point lead at 30-20, but it would be all Steelers after that.
A Harris touchdown and Matt Bahr field goal tied the game at 30-30 and sent it into overtime.
It took almost the entire overtime before Bahr hit his fourth field goal, this one from 37-yards out, with just 13 seconds to play in overtime for a 33-30 win.
December 22, 1991 at Three Rivers Stadium Steelers 17, Browns 10
As the clock wound down during the Steelers-Browns game on a Sunday afternoon in December, a photo of Coach Chuck Noll and his wife Marianne from the Steelers Christmas party a week earlier flashed across the scoreboard. Steelers' fans went crazy as a Happy Holidays message accompanied the photo.
It would be one of the last times the home crowd at Three Rivers Stadium, which would include some of Noll's former players, would have an opportunity to cheer for Noll, who would coach his last game that day. Noll retired a few days later, on Dec. 26, 1991, ending an era that brought four Super Bowl trophies to the proud City of Pittsburgh during Noll's 23 years at the helm.
His players didn't let him down in what would be his final game. The Steelers beat the Browns 17-10 thanks to some splash plays on offense and defense.
Gary Anderson opened the scoring with a 34-yard field goal in the first quarter, but the Browns tied it with a 19-yard Matt Stover field goal, sending the teams into the locker room at halftime tied 3-3.
Take a look at photos of Chuck Noll's last game against the Cleveland Browns.
Steelers quarterback Bubby Brister completed just seven passes for 113 yards, but he only needed one that mattered, a 65-yard scoring strike to Dwight Stone near the end of the third quarter for a 10-3 lead.
The defense would be next to come up big with cornerback Richard Shelton intercepting Bernie Kosar at the Steelers 43-yard line and returning it 57 yards for a touchdown and 17-3 fourth quarter lead.
The Browns would add a touchdown to close the gap to 17-10, but it wouldn't be enough and Noll would win his final game as the Steelers coach.
