The Cleveland Browns started the Wild Card Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers on fire by quickly building a 28-0 lead, and that lead stood at 35-10 at halftime. The Steelers managed to rally in the third quarter and trimmed down the deficit with a 13-0 run of their own to make it 35-23. However, the Steelers surprisingly punted on fourth-and-1 from the 46 in the opening of the fourth quarter.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's decision halted his team's rhythm on the field, and the Browns capitalized on Tomlin's gamble and subsequently scored to make it 42-23 to put the game out of reach.

The Steelers coach explained why he chose to punt just when his team was in a position to make a run of their own:

“We had some stops, wanted to pin them down, maybe provide the short field for our offense,” Tomlin said, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor. “We had maybe two or three consecutive stops. I just wanted to keep the momentum going in terms of field positioning. But we weren't good enough in terms of doing that.”

Article Continues Below
More Pittsburgh Steelers News
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Steelers insider points out Mike Tomlin’s 180 on OTAs amid Aaron Rodgers sagaJaren Kawada ·
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws a pass against the Houston Texans during the first half at MetLife Stadium.
Steelers rumors: Why Pittsburgh isn’t worried about Aaron Rodgers not signing yetBen Strauss ·
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) warms up on the field prior to the game against the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
NFL rumors: Falcons insider picks Browns Kirk Cousins trade idea over SteelersZachary Weinberger ·
Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham Jr. (89) during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center.
Steelers’ Donald Parham Jr. suffers season-ending injury in practiceBenedetto Vitale ·
Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) reacts after a touchdown reception during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.
Steelers rumors: Pittsburgh renews Jonnu Smith trade talks with DolphinsBenedetto Vitale ·
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis (0) before the game against the Green Bay Packers at EverBank Stadium.
Steelers rumors: Pittsburgh hosting ex-Bills star with Jonnu Smith trade not expectedBen Strauss ·

Despite the Steelers' fight, the Browns still managed to build a comfortable lead and ultimately earned a 48-37 victory to upset their division rival in the opening round of the playoffs. After starting the season 11-0, Pittsburgh finished with five losses in six games. Tomlin lamented the brutal finish:

“We didn't do enough,” Tomlin added. “We didn't position them in enough good circumstances. We didn't make enough plays, particularly in the critical moments. We were a group that died on the vine.”

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an awful first half but managed to redeem himself in the second half with a gutsy performance. He finished with 501 yards on 47-of-68 passes with four touchdown passes and four interceptions. The veteran's efforts still went down the drain as his team failed to grab the all-important win after a promising campaign in the regular season.

The Browns will now face the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 17.