PITTSBURGH – Cam Heyward has been on good teams before. Those who have conquered divisions. The ones who have won playoff games, although admittedly not in a long time.

Now in his 14th season, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle can’t remember ever having a group like the one he’s playing in now.

“We have a complete team,” Heyward said.

A team that started the season with a lot of question marks is now rolling towards Christmas with everything on the table.

Russell Wilson threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, Heyward recorded two sacks and the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-14 on Sunday despite leading receiver George Pickens watching from the sidelines while he missed the first game of his career with a groin injury .

While Wilson and the rest of the offense took time to get the productive, if volatile, Pickens out of the game, Wilson found his footing in the second half, offering touchdown passes to Pat Freiermuth and Van Jefferson as the Steelers ( 10-3) was two games ahead of Baltimore with four weeks to go and took the AFC North lead.

Two weeks after a chaotic fall in the snow, Pittsburgh avoided being swept by the Browns for the first time since 1988 by capitalizing on the countless opportunities presented by error-prone Cleveland (3-10).

Jameis Winston threw two interceptions, Dustin Hopkins missed two makeable field goals when the outcome was in doubt, and a series of missed throws resulted in the Browns suffering double-digit losses for the 18th time since the franchise’s return in 1999.

“I don’t think the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns,” Winston said. “I think the Cleveland Browns beat the Cleveland Browns.”

While Winston avoided the pick-6s that have dogged him throughout his career – including last week in Denver – he did little after hitting Jerry Jeudy for a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter that gave the Browns an early lead provided. Winston finished 24 of 41 for 211 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Nick Chubb ran for 48 yards in his return to Pittsburgh after suffering a devastating knee injury on the same field 15 months ago that forced him to miss more than a year. Still, the Steelers kept Myles Garrett relatively at bay after the defensive star recorded three sacks in Cleveland’s upset on Nov. 21, and Pittsburgh’s defense provided the spark that brought the offense to life.

The momentum began when Winston’s screen pass intended for Chubb landed in the hands of the Steelers’ 6-foot-1, 300-pound defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, who made his first career interception 11 yards. Najee Harris scored from a yard out five plays later, giving the Steelers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“That’s what good teams do this time of year,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “Someone makes a play, the other side of the ball supports them. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Cleveland had chances to keep the Steelers within sight, but Hopkins saw a 38-yard field goal in airy Acrisure Stadium sail wide left late in the first half and then had a 43-yarder early in the third quarter -Drift to the right.

“I have to find a good swing,” said Hopkins, who has nine misses at the NFL level. “Swing has been hard to find this year.”

The Steelers scored on the ensuing possession when Wilson executed a perfect run-pass option by faking the ball to Jaylen Warren, rolling to his right and finding Jefferson wide open in the end zone from 10 yards out for the ball to bring 20:7.

Pittsburgh’s Elandon Roberts stuffed Jerome Ford for a 5-yard loss on fourth down to end Cleveland’s next possession, and Wilson connected with Freiermuth at the seam. The tight end stumbled into the newly painted yellow end zone, sending the Browns back to Cleveland with a loss, just like every regular season visit since 2004.

It also sets the stage for a scary home stretch for the Steelers, who face Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City in the next three weeks, with two of the games briefly paused.

While Pittsburgh has silenced much of the noise surrounding the team after a massive offensive overhaul in the offseason — led by the acquisition of Wilson — the Steelers know the real test still lies ahead.

“Why don’t you test us before the playoffs to get a feel?” said Freiermuth. “It’s all playoff teams we’re playing, so it’s going to be great.”

Injuries

Browns: CB Mike Ford Jr. was placed in the concussion protocol in the first quarter.

Steelers: DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) left the ball in the first half and did not return. … DB Donte Jackson (back) left in the third quarter.

Next

Browns: Host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday.

Steelers: Travel to cross-state rival Philadelphia next Sunday.

——

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL