PITTSBURGH – They knew they had to win, and they did. The Steelers got some much needed revenge on the Browns, beating Cleveland 20-13 at Heinz Field on Sunday.
Unlike the last time these two divisional rivals faced off, Devlin Hodges started and finished the game. Hodges, who won the starting job over Mason Rudolph and already had one wins under his belt as a starter this season, explained what it was like to get the start at Heinz Field in front of the home fans in such a big game.
That Thursday night from a three weeks ago was still on the mind of several Steelers players. Ramon Foster talked about his team’s extra sense of motivation, not only after the Myles Garrett incident, but also the comments (and attire) of Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens all week.
With James Conner on the sidelines, it was up to Benny Snell to rejuvenate the Steelers running game, which had been missing in action since Monday Night Football against Miami. Snell answered the call, running for 63 yards on 16 carries and getting into the end zone for the first touchdown of his young career.
“It was very exciting. I got to keep the ball too, so I’m happy about that,” Snell said of finally punching it in for an NFL touchdown.