Pair of defensive touchdowns help Steelers outlast Browns on 'Monday Night Football'

If not for two big plays by the defense, each involving outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, two decades-long streaks might have ended Monday night for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They remained intact thanks to a pair of defensive touchdowns that propelled the Steelers to a 26-22 victory against the Cleveland Browns.

The win improved the Steelers to 1-1 and offset their 30-7 season-opening loss to San Francisco.

The Browns (1-1), holding a three-point lead in the fourth quarter, were looking to win a regular-season game at Acrisure Stadium for the first time since 2003, and the Steelers’ 20-game streak of home wins on “Monday Night Football” was in jeopardy.

Then, T.J. Watt returned a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown — the ball forced loose by Highsmith on a strip sack of Deshaun Watson — to give the Steelers the lead for good with 6 minutes, 58 seconds remaining.

“Two special players making special plays,” said defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who had a sack and fumble recovery.

It was the second defensive touchdown for the Steelers, who got a 30-yard interception return by Highsmith on the first snap of the game. Kenny Pickett struggled throughout the game but connected with George Pickens on a 71-yard touchdown for the Steelers’ only points on offense.

In a sloppily played game, the Browns turned the ball over four times and the Steelers twice.

The biggest came with the Browns holding a 22-19 lead. Facing a second down on the Cleveland 20, Watson had the ball stripped from his grasp by Highsmith.

“I just had a feeling it was going to be play-action, so I widened out a little bit in my alignment and shot up the field,” Highsmith said. “I saw him and tried to punch the ball out.”

Watt, who set the Steelers’ career sacks record earlier in the game, did the rest, scooping the ball and running unimpeded into the end zone. The touchdown enabled the Steelers to remain unbeaten at home on the “Monday Night Football” stage since 1991.

“We’ve got the best player in the world in 90, and 56 is close behind,” Pickett said. “Those guys did a hell of a job.”

The touchdowns came on a night when the Steelers allowed 408 yards to the Browns, who ran 81 offensive plays and rushed for 198 yards a week after the 49ers gained 188 on the ground.

The offense, aside from Pickett’s touchdown pass to Pickens, didn’t fare much better. The Steelers had one first down through five drives — this coming a week after they had none at the same juncture — and punted on their final four possessions.

“We left those guys out there way too long,” said Pickett, who completed 15 of 30 passes for 222 yards. “There are things we have to do better offensively to help those guys out.”

After Pickett was stopped for a 3-yard loss with 3:02 left on a botched third-and-1 run play, fans began a chant calling for offensive coordinator Matt Canada to be fired. The Steelers offense has scored as many touchdowns as the defense through two weeks.

“Listen, we come out here and play AFC North football and win the game,” center Mason Cole said. “That’s a good way to get the bad taste of last week out of your mouth.”

The Browns lost more than a game. Star running back Nick Chubb went down with a gruesome injury early in the second quarter. Chubb was carted off the field after his knee bent back awkwardly after being tackled low by Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick left in the second half with a chest injury. He sustained it while diving to stop Chubb’s replacement, Jerome Ford, from scoring after a 69-yard run that set up a touchdown that helped the Browns take a 22-19 lead.

The Steelers led at halftime and increased their advantage to 19-14 on Chris Boswell’s 50-yard field goal.

The Browns answered with a touchdown and 2-point conversion that put them back on top, 22-19.

Ford broke off a 69-yard run down the left side, reversing field after he initially was hemmed in on the right edge. This burst set up Pierre Strong’s 1-yard touchdown. Watson ran for the 2-point conversion.

On their final possession, the Browns got the ball to midfield. Elijah Riley, filling in for the injured Fitzpatrick, dropped Watson for a 2-yard sack on third down. Watson’s fourth down pass was incomplete.

“I think we had to go out and do what we had to do,” Highsmith said. “That’s creating turnovers, making splash plays, getting off the field. There are many ways we can improve, but I think we took a step forward this week.”

In the first half, the Steelers had more turnovers (two) than rushing yards (one). Still, one big play from the offense and another from the defense helped provide a 16-14 lead at the break.

The game began with Watson throwing a pass that was deflected twice before Highsmith plucked it out of the air and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

Chubb had gashed the Steelers for 64 yards on 10 attempts when he was injured after a run that put the Browns on the doorstep of the end zone.

When play resumed, Watson tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ford. The Browns went for the 2-point conversion after a penalty on the Steelers, and Ford ran it in to give Cleveland an 11-7 lead.

Boswell’s 52-yard field goal cut the deficit to 11-10.

It took one long pass for the Steelers to regain the lead. Pickett, held to 68 passing yards to that point, found Pickens running across the middle and hit his wide receiver in stride. Pickens dashed to the end zone to complete the 71-yard score. The Steelers couldn’t convert their 2-point attempt, keeping the score at 16-11.

“’G’ won the route,” Pickett said. “Just had to put the ball there for him — and he did the rest.”