Browns Leave Steelers Red-Faced

If they accomplish nothing else in their expansion season, the Cleveland Browns have mastered the art of the improbable comeback.

Tim Couch, sacked repeatedly and unable to lead Cleveland past midfield most of the game, came through in the end and Phil Dawson kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired as the Browns stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-15, Sunday.

The upset was one of the most remarkable in the 49-year history of the Rust Belt rivalry. The Steelers beat the Browns, 43-0, on Sunday night the first week of the season.

The Steelers (5-4), who had won three in a row, dismissed suggestions they took the Browns lightly. But safety Lee Flowers bragged beforehand how they could easily pad their defensive statistics.

They did, sacking Couch six times while building a 15-7 lead with 10:10 left on Kris Brown’s third field goal. But the Browns (2-9), who hadn’t crossed midfield since driving 80 yards for a touchdown on their opening possession, got a huge break when John Thierry intercepted Kordell Stewart’s screen pass and returned it eight yards to the 15. The Browns scored two plays later from the five on a swing pass from Couch to fullback Marc Edwards with 5:12 left to play.

A two-point conversion attempt failed.

On the Browns’ final drive, Couch, who was 18 for 28 for 199 yards, passed to Darrin Chiaverini for 23 yards, and 15 yards were tacked on when reserve linebacker Mike Vrabel smacked Couch with a forearm to the helmet.

Three plays later, with the Browns scrambling to get lined up with no timeouts, Dawson kicked the winning field goal.