Have you ever wondered about the plays that really determine a football game's outcome? Not the flashy touchdowns, but the subtle, almost invisible moments that swing momentum? Those are the plays that often dictate victory or defeat. This week, we're diving deep into one such moment from the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 6 victory over the Cleveland Browns, a 23-9 win that might have looked straightforward, but was anything but.
This is part of a series where we uncover those forgotten and hidden plays that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win or lose. Forget the Monday morning highlight reels. We're talking about the seemingly insignificant plays that, in hindsight, were absolutely crucial.
A Defensive Stand in a Slugfest
The first half of that Steelers-Browns game was, to put it mildly, uneventful. Both offenses struggled to find their rhythm, resulting in a classic, old-school AFC North grind. Pittsburgh managed to kick three field goals, but neither team seemed capable of breaking through the opposing defense. But here's where it gets controversial... Many fans were already writing the game off as a defensive stalemate, but the Browns started to show signs of life late in the second quarter.
With just 3:31 remaining before halftime, Cleveland, starting from their own 15-yard line, orchestrated a methodical, almost agonizingly slow drive led by rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. They chipped away at the Steelers' defense, inching closer and closer to the end zone. Suddenly, they found themselves on Pittsburgh's 13-yard line. The Browns, clearly not content with a mere field goal, decided to gamble. With no timeouts left and only seven seconds on the clock, they opted to keep the offense on the field, signaling their intention to go for the touchdown. The play call was obvious: a quick strike to the end zone. Literally, there was no time to waste.
Queen's Gambit: A Game-Changing Play
Enter Patrick Queen. Queen, who frankly had been having a somewhat inconsistent year in coverage, rose to the occasion. He anticipated the play perfectly, shadowing Browns' trusted tight end David Njoku as he ran a route down the seam. With impeccable timing, Queen dove and broke up Gabriel's pass intended for Njoku in the end zone.
And this is the part most people miss... It's worth noting that Njoku appeared to turn his head late, potentially hindering his ability to make the catch regardless of Queen's intervention. But like many plays we analyze in this series, it falls into the "glad I didn’t need to find out" category. The Browns' game film likely revealed their tendency to exploit vertical seams in similar situations. Rewind to Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings, and you'll see Cleveland attempting a nearly identical play before halftime. Vertical seams were clearly a go-to strategy for them.
With the clock ticking down to zero, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski decided to play it safe, sending out the field goal unit to salvage at least some points before the break. The kick was good, making the score 9-3 in favor of the Steelers. While both a touchdown and a field goal would have kept it a one-possession game, the difference between 9-3 and 9-7 is significant. Especially considering that Cleveland was set to receive the ball at the start of the second half. A touchdown there and the whole momentum of the game could have shifted.
Queen's Resurgence
Patrick Queen's crucial play has coincided with a noticeable improvement in the Steelers' defense over the past few weeks. He's been playing some of the best football of his career, making his presence felt all over the field. Whether it's stopping the run, disrupting screen passes, or, like in this instance, excelling in coverage (an area where he's historically struggled), Queen is finally living up to the expectations Pittsburgh had when they signed him. As one analyst put it, "Patrick Queen is becoming the player Steelers paid him to be!"
While the Steelers ultimately secured a comfortable victory over the Browns, there wasn't one single, overwhelmingly obvious "Eureka!" play that defined the game. Nick Herbig's first career sack, which came as the Browns were once again threatening to score, was another key moment, albeit a slightly more memorable one.
It's exceptionally difficult to keep NFL teams, even struggling offenses like the Browns, out of the end zone for an entire game. In fact, through the first six weeks of the season, it had only happened 11 other times, accounting for less than seven percent of all NFL games. The Steelers accomplished this feat for the first time at home since 2019, and Queen's pivotal play, forcing Cleveland to settle for a field goal, played a vital role in that accomplishment.
So, here's the question for you: Do you think this relatively small play by Queen was truly as important as I've suggested? Or are we overstating its significance in a game the Steelers ultimately controlled? Did it truly change the trajectory of the game, or was it simply a good play in an otherwise dominant defensive performance? Share your thoughts in the comments below! I'm interested to see what you think.
