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The defending NFL champions lost their fifth straight and had their playoff hopes thrown for a loss by the lowly Cleveland Browns, who ended a 12-game skid against their bitter rival by beating the Steelers 13-6 on Thursday night in subzero wind chills.
Ben Roethlisberger was sacked eight times and lost for the first time in 11 career games against the Browns (2-11), who extended Pittsburgh’s longest losing streak in six years and defeated the Steelers (6-7) at home for the first time since 2000.
Pittsburgh is going to need help to make the playoffs, a stunning freefall for a team that hit the season’s halfway point at 6-2.
Unexpected losses to Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland – three of the NFL’s worst teams with a combined record of 9-28 – have pushed the Steelers to the brink.
“To lose five straight coming off a Super Bowl from last year is embarrassing,” wide receiver Hines Ward said. “There’s nothing fun about losing games, especially five in a row. We’re better than that. We should play better than that. With three games left, you’re going to see who really wants to go out here and play for the pride of this organisation and this city and who doesn’t want to be around here.”
Green Bay remain on course for the play-offs after a 27-14 victory over Baltimore.
The standings say the Green Bay Packers are in good shape for the playoffs, but Monday night’s 27-14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens showed they still have some work to do to be taken seriously once they get there.
Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Jermichael Finley, as the Packers won a penalty-filled game Monday night.
It was the fourth straight win for the Packers (8-4), solidifying their spot in the NFC wild-card race. But it certainly wasn’t pretty.
The teams committed 23 penalties for 310 yards, tying for the second-highest yardage total in an NFL game.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy called the penalties “unbelievable for both sides” but said he was happy with the way his team responded to trying circumstances – something they hadn’t done well early in the season.
“I’ll say this about our football team: I was very proud and excited the way they overcame the adversity,” McCarthy said.
The Ravens (6-6) struggled in coverage without star safety Ed Reed, who sat out with hip and ankle injuries.
But Ravens coach John Harbaugh insisted his team still can save their season.
Warner outplayed Favre as Arizona toppled the Minnesota Vikings with a 30-17 victory on Sunday.
Kurt Warner was marvellous, Brett Favre was miserable.
Warner, back after missing a game with a concussion, threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns and the Arizona Cardinals’ defence stifled Favre and the Minnesota Vikings in a stunningly one-sided 30-17 victory.
Favre set an NFL record for consecutive appearances, but game number 283 in a row was no night to remember for him or the rest of the Vikings (10-2). The 40-year-old quarterback, with just three interceptions in the first the first 11 games, was picked off twice and sacked three times.