An Iron City Classic Comeback! (Browns vs. Steelers, 2002 AFC Wild Card) | NFL Vault Highlights

[@kriskilpatrick7321]

One of the best playoff games I've ever seen. Great plays in all three phases of the game, plenty of scoring, on a muddy field in classic football weather conditions between two long-time rivals. Holcomb vs. Maddox...who would've thought it would be even 1% as interesting as it was.

[@mikethomas5231]

Kris Kilpatrick:🍺🍺🍺👍

[@ZhangtheGreat]

Fact: This was the season when both the Steelers and Browns made QB changes mid-season. The Steelers went to Tommy Maddox after they gave up on Kordell Stewart, and the Browns went to Kelly Holcomb after Tim Couch got hurt. Both Maddox and Holcomb turned out to be one-hit wonder QB teases though, as neither found any sort of success after this season. Also, the reason the Browns got into the playoffs was due to a better conference record than the other two 9-7 teams: Cleveland was 7-5 against the AFC, while Denver was 5-7 and New England was 6-6. The Patriots had just won the Super Bowl the year prior, and after this season, it really looked like Belichick and Brady were one-shot wonders. Boy how wrong we were! This was only one of two seasons since 2001 when the Patriots didn't win the division and missed the playoffs (the other was 2008 when Brady tore his ACL in Week 1).

[@rivalstorm7216]

That's some cool info man

[@spinner9057]

And the AFC team that made that years' Super Bowl, the Oakland Raiders, turned out to be a one-shot wonder themselves since that was their last playoff game until 2016 and the team that beat them, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, were as well. Super Bowl XXXVII was their last playoff victory.

[@justinhiggins4783]

The Browns went 9-6-1 in '02, so what you're saying may be true. But Cleveland did have 1 less loss then the other 2 teams.

[@ZhangtheGreat]

justin higgins: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_NFL_Season#Final_regular_season_standings Cleveland was 9-7 along with Denver and New England among all AFC non-division winners. Miami finished 9-7 as well, but a worse division record than New England meant it didn't matter how Miami did against the rest of the conference because it already lost the tiebreaker to New England.

[@LukeR.5117]

Thanks for the history lesson!

[@FasterJTG]

Who is here now that we are getting this exact same match up, same seeds, and same stadium 18 years later

[@dennisleh]

I'm ready!

[@tdbone35]

I'm here

[@erics2739]

As a packers fan i hope browns win

[@bakpakkillaz2339]

LETS GO STEELERS!!!

[@musicman76enator]

Everybody but the Center. LOL

[@dmann6895]

If you attended this game live, you got your money's worth.

[@brianmorgan7703]

I was in college and was offered free tickets from a customer at work, I turned him down because I didn't have a way to get to the game....had I but known

[@edwardgaines6561]

@@brianmorgan7703 Damn man, you should've gone, you could've kept the ticket!

[@brianmorgan7703]

@@edwardgaines6561 I know! I kick myself at least once a year for it. I just hope they went to somebody who enjoyed themselves

[@CROSSTATT]

D Mann I'm a Browns fan and share your opinion.

[@josecarranza7555]

Brian Morgan Dumb ass.

[@CompletelyRandomAndUnknown]

I actually still have this game recorded. The commercials are equally as interesting as the game.

[@MazDanRX795]

Oh I would love to watch old games along with the commercials! What a trip

[@loganreed4582]

Please share

[@richardcampbell2261]

I was there enjoying this one. Although not until the 4th Q.

[@joeflores8062]

Disappear covid-19

[@immilkingit3469]

Upload it pls

[@Phinal_Flash]

Back when the Browns and Steelers rivalry was actually competitive.

[@toofast2721]

Right...hopefully that can turn around this year

[@Phinal_Flash]

@@toofast2721 as a Philadelphia Eagles fan who lives in Steelers country, I wouldn't mind seeing Cleveland win tomorrow lol.

[@toofast2721]

@@Phinal_Flash lol and as a cowboy fan I would love for that to happen plus my pops is a browns fan

[@toofast2721]

@Jason Calhoun Cleveland should've won that game

[@marquanmr]

Good times...

[@bigblue9996]

Kelly Holcomb has more playoff touchdowns than Andy Dalton.

[@Xhoven]

Lol, ouch.

[@WhistleTeets85]

😂😂😂 #facts

[@SteelJackson_97]

Facts

[@patricklawton8135]

Kelly was a good QB. He was just made of glass and was extremely injury prone

[@qmaster7565]

Andy’s a better qb but damn can’t deny that

[@jaronzennaiter]

The dropped INT late in the 4th by Cleveland, coupled with Northcuts huge, drive extending catch, (that was dropped), sealed the Browns fate. Bet they still think of those plays, ever moment.

[@d0nKsTaH]

Northcutt's "dive to the sidelines" as time expires is one of Cleveland's "Plays of infamy". It's on the top ten of a video on yt somewhere on how the Browns keep missing moments of glory... right up there with the INT in the endzone vs the Raiders... "the fumble"... and "the drive" (#1 of course).

[@cleswag2419]

I know I do 🤦🏻‍♂️ and that cheap flag unnecessary roughness on ward was bullshit too ..not to mention went for 2 didn’t need to either where FG woulda won the game and that route wtf get out of bounds..still hurts

[@admiralcrushgaming5739]

@@cleswag2419 don’t forget you guys threw a touchdown on a no call delay of game

[@johndaniels7609]

@@cleswag2419 nah, they blasted him. Quit crying about the refs....

[@speedylightning5350]

This game defines the browns finding anyway possible to screw up from dropped pics to dropped passes

[@wesf7782]

Speedy Lightning I thought I was watching a Chargers game for a sec

[@jaymac508]

Speedy Lightning facts! Tommy was just throwing them right to the Browns dbs. They dropped a bunch

[@DaComebakKid]

11:34 OH BOY!!!! What a blown dagger

[@FromUpNorth9345]

If cornerbacks could catch they would be receivers dude.

[@edschobs5204]

That was a great game. Even if the browns had pulled out the victory, it was epic. Hopefully this year can be the same. Too bad 5,000 fans doesn’t make as much noise as 60,000

[@nick56677]

The Steelers Offense at this time had both Burress and Ward in their primes.. If only a competent QB came sooner.

[@FernandoMartinez-om2nj]

Thought Maddox was serviceable.

[@nick56677]

@Jon Davis Yup! And the Bus! They also had a great O line with Alan Faneca and Marvel Smith as well

[@nick56677]

@Jon Davis He was the Left Tackle before Max Starks took over the position.

[@Richkeyj]

It's a shame Kordell seemed to mentally fall apart because he had all the tools to be a really good NFL QB

[@sjb610]

@@Richkeyj Kordell would be an All-Pro if he played today

[@JacaboBlanco]

Holcomb and northcut looked like HOFers in this game haha

[@kevingreen5793]

Who else is here after the Browns clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2002?

[@erocs9747]

I am they got video on last playoff win also

[@kevingreen5793]

@@erocs9747 I didn’t know that I’ll have to check that out! Thanks for telling me!

[@MasterofSheepdogs]

this was a classic game tbh. vaguely remember it when I was 8 years old, insane Cleveland hasn't been back to so much as a wild card game since '02

[@TG8Productions]

The Browns??? In a playoff game???

[@kascnef]

Yes

[@dez9565]

This is the last time they were in the playoffs

[@Xhoven]

Not only that, but the Patriots missed the playoffs this season. So this was a season with the Browns in the playoffs but not the Patriots. Hard to fathom.

[@AJ_savage16]

They had nice little squad in 2002

[@jimdavis1566]

The sun will even shine on a dog's ass every once in a while

[@sub4ra]

I forgot how great this game was. Hard to believe it was 16 seasons ago. 16 seasons before this playoff game they lost in some "drive" playoff game.

[@nikbol43below]

The year in the title of the video tells me that I shouldn't expect to see Roethlisberger as the Pittsburgh Quarterback, and yet, I was still surprised.

[@TheLocalLt]

Nick Currie touchdown tommy

[@CPerryTravels]

What a game!

[@raproze]

Who's here after the Browns made the playoffs for the first time in 18 years?

[@joesakic91]

Me. And the Browns will play the Steelers in Heinz Field in the AFC Wild Card round in a rematch of their classic 2002 encounter.

[@ChiefBlue4298]

I’m here after they eliminated the Steelers from the playoffs

[@johndaniels7609]

@@ChiefBlue4298 then got swept the next year...

[@steel_tim_7889]

It's funny cuz I remember this game and my Dad is a Browns fan and he was celebrating too early and I still remember his reaction like it was yesterday when the Steelers came back.

[@jacktheripoff1888]

To this day the only postseason game in "Browns 2.0" history. And how fitting, a blown game that was all but won and against the Steelers of all teams.

[@TheMan750]

jacktheripoff1888 could’ve been worse, could’ve been against the old Browns(Ravens)

[@ckendall67]

18 years later, the Browns finally get it done vs the Steelers in the playoffs.

[@utahsilvey5930]

And still couldn't win the superbowl

[@spinner9057]

The last four minutes of this game was extremely Cleveland.

[@ChiefBlue4298]

Not this year tho

[@spinner9057]

@@ChiefBlue4298 Hell no! The Browns dominated from start to finish with little worry of a letdown. The only time the Steelers trailed by single digits was when they let up that first touchdown on the first play of the game. And the only reason why Pittsburgh scored 37 was because Cleveland relaxed. As Shannon always says on Undisputed....EMPTY CALORIES!!!!

[@johndaniels7609]

@@spinner9057 then Ben swept them the next year. He still owned the Browns. And his last home game ever. Had to burn for Browns fans.

[@HutchIsOnYT]

@@spinner9057congrats. You guys got your ONE lol

[@kevindiaz3459]

Man, I still remember the heartbreak I felt from this game. And the Browns still breaking me every year...

[@srenj1985]

Though I'm a Rams fan, I have had a soft spot for the Browns, ever since that game in 2002, what a game a two great teams. I'm truly happy, that The Browns won in 2021

[@joesakic91]

Heinz Field will be the site of the 2002 AFC Wild Card rematch between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2020 AFC Wild Card.

[@ChiefBlue4298]

And the Browns got their revenge this time

[@detectiveandy6323]

As a fanatic of the Steelers, i actually want Cleveland to be good again. i look forward to these competitive games. thats what makes rivalries, hasnt been much of a rivalry in last 18 yrs, but Cleveland is getting good again, so im pumped for 2020 wildcard weekend

[@ChiefBlue4298]

And just like that, the Browns are good again

[@The_Bad_Guy.]

I don't. I love watching them suffer. Plus the browns fans are obnoxious. They are decent, just barely decent, for literally one season after 2 decades of being terrible and they talk like they have been the new England Patriots the last 20 years.

[@anthonycroaker732]

Great game I was 22 at the time and now 41 loyal browns fan.

[@joekorea8758]

That was a true steelers browns playoff football game...down n dirty. Snow, shitty field conditions, hard hits, tough players on both sides, down to the wire...c'mon brownies. We steelers fans been waiting to revive this once great rivalry. One of the best rivalries in all of sports.

[@otaviofrnazario]

One year later, how have you been?

[@CPerryTravels]

Yesss! I was hoping this would be uploaded as hype for tomorrow's game!

[@jshgbp]

6:23 Reminds me of my favorite Chris Berman line "Northcutt...Cuts north!!"

[@ashleychase8918]

Watching football game being played in snow is THE BEST 👌👌 can't get enough of it

[@toofast2721]

This game was very intense the whole time

[@CZECHMATE650]

How about Tommy Maddox. He was selling insurance the year before this game!

[@RoonGang09]

this game is a GREAT definition of how this rivalry is for the Browns

[@kenp7814]

Red Right 88 The Drive The Fumble The Drop

[@Pulsatyr]

Now we can add the Hue. He didn't cost us a championship, just our self respect.

[@Keith_McDaniel]

The Betrayal (when the Browns moved to Baltimore after the 1995 season)

[@sawyertuide7636]

The Drive II: Browns vs Steelers 2007 Week 10, where Big Ben drove down the field to score a GW in the game that cost the Browns the division title that year.

[@PENS68]

What a game as a Steelers fan, this was definitely a classic, you had two journeymen quarterbacks in Tommy Maddox and Kelly Holcomb who both had playoff performances of a lifetime.

[@psimms988]

I remember watching this game live. I will never forget it. Great day for football. Go Steelers!

[@otaviofrnazario]

It truly was. On the same day 49ers vs Giants at Candlestick with a great comeback for the niners as well

[@psimms988]

@@otaviofrnazario I remember that game. The giants got robbed

[@otaviofrnazario]

@@psimms988 that was a bad ending to them, but they could've avoided that scenario. Two blown field goals late in the game. Late in the game you have to score every point you can

[@psimms988]

@@otaviofrnazario true. Just glad the steelers pulled it off. They got robbed the following week in tennessee on the phantom roughing the kicker call. You remember that game?

[@otaviofrnazario]

@@psimms988 I've watched that one a couple of times. Images of the game for me were Bill Cowher swearing the ref until his last generation and former NFL punter/kicker Pat McAfee appearing on halftime as a teenager and being booed by the Titans fans. About the Browns game, Pittsburgh won a classic

[@matthewcarter4017]

i remember this game very well. my grandfather was in the hospital and my mom, sister and i went to visit him. we turned the game on and one of the nurses said to not have the game on since my grandfather had recently had a heart attack ,so we shut it off and as soon as she left my grandfather said turn it back on. we watched the game in his hospital room and were like well the browns are gonna win today after they had a big lead and then i got home and watched one of the most amazing playoff endings i ever saw

[@benjaminfeige7986]

No comeback this time.

[@HawaiianRolls808]

Who’s here after the browns is going back to the Playoffs!?

[@Leeedy_1]

And facing us in PIT, too

[@ChiefBlue4298]

I’m here after they eliminated the Steelers from the playoffs

[@NorCalRamsfan]

Jeez the 2002-03 playoffs where amazing also miss that old cbs theme

[@BSmokeyGaming]

Agree, that theme is awesome. The current theme is lame as hell.

[@kaybevang536]

The niners coming back and winning it controversially and now Pittsburgh and the Buccaneers win over Philly good times indeed and seeing Jon Gruden get revenge on Al Davis for not keeping him in Oakland

[@steve199151]

Wow what a great game. Well Played Cleveland.

[@bobbystatic]

RIP Heinz Field. Some of the best football I’ve ever seen came from here

[@johndaniels7609]

It's still the same stadium. It will always be Heinz field. Did they tear it down or something? Wtf?

[@oldschool-ct8dt]

when i saw this live, i couldn't eat, drink nor stay on the couch.. it was nerve racking throughout. a classic gem for maddox

[@fan4life34]

That was simply incredible, Browns had 2 pic chances that would have ended it mid 4th too! Or Northcutts drop😕 instant classic 100%

[@RevolverLink]

Man, the Browns had so many opportunities to win this game.

[@cancelanime1507]

Can't do that again this time

[@Kmurd2003]

@@cancelanime1507 doesn't rlly matter for us

[@markcar915]

I thought I was going to have a stroke watching this game. Wild game for sure.

[@lawrencezekas]

I miss the days where hard hits were legal...

[@stuartribblett9185]

This was my last Steelers game living in Pennsylvania. I moved away on January 22,2003. bittersweet

[@bigrivermedia762]

This was the early Sunday game on Wild Card weekend, the late being the Giants at 49ers. Two of the wildest comebacks in playoff history, back-to-back.

[@hollowpointsbullets6254]

Love games like this cold weather and snowing.

[@Blues05216]

Who knew this was going to be the same matchup but with different players 18 years later?

[@545047]

I predicted this in 2003 and I was only 6 years old 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@debbiegrasse3920]

The Plex Man - In Honor of the Father of a young man I met on your site, Itz. He said he’d watch the games with his Dad & whenever Plaxico made a reception, his Dad would say, “The Plex Man”. Now every time I watch these oldies & Plaxico makes a reception, I say, “The Plex Man”. Gob Bless that young man & his Dad in Heaven.

[@Pulsatyr]

I miss those days when the Browns vs. Steelers was a real game that Pittsburgh had to prep for. For many years now, Ben just worried about tripping over something orange and pulling something. I hope 2019 is the changing of the tide. The AFC North has enough reasons for real vitriolic rivalries that could make it the most exciting division, if only it had more than two real teams.

[@otaviofrnazario]

The AFC north is probably the division with most rivalry potential of the whole league, more than even the NFC east. Unfortunately the Browns and the Bengals can't seem to take the right decisions in the front office, and that screws all the rest. Pretty much every combination of game there is a rivalry

[@victoriouspauper8495]

i actually watched this AWESOME STEELERS WIN ....... in the CLEVELAND AIRPORT ..... waiting for a connecting flight. SO FUN !!!!

[@edwardoutlawjr8154]

The Brownies' last playoff appearance until 2020 where they beat...you guessed it the Steelers.

[@hurlicane56]

That last play raises an interesting question. If King were to intentionally throw the ball backward out of bounds, would that be a legal way to stop the clock?

[@bluedevil29601]

I know this is almost a year later, but that's a good question. Would it just be a fumble out of bounds, or is there some sort of penalty and/or clock runoff? I'm gonna have to look that up

[@MRCAVALIER34]

I was 7 years old when this happened, I wasn’t into sports yet so I didn’t watch the game, but my dad was devastated. 18 years later, I finally got to watch the Browns win a playoff game with my dad 😊

[@VictiniMujigae]

The Browns last playoff appearance. What a pain it has been for me (I am a fan of the Cleveland Browns) from 2003 to 2019.

[@robertvoyten4858]

Thus renegade was born as a Pittsburgh icon

[@EyeTunz]

(12:31) #22 slips and recovers, then gets chipped by his own linebacker, then stick with his man but is too focused on recovering to try to make a play. He doesn't even see the ball coming. The pretty pass is dropped. That is the most important and fascinating play of the game. A catch there would probably seal it. Games like this are so wild.

[@seancroke5261]

And then this year happened..... In your face! Go BROWNS!

[@RuNZiT1]

From a 49ers fan you love seeing other teams duke it out. Definitely is entertaining

[@BSmokeyGaming]

I bet most people will disagree with me, but as a native of Miami, Butch Davis was the best coach the Browns had around that time. As a Canes fan, it stings, even tho Miami had some glory days without him, but Butch Davis was the main reason why Miami produced lots of all time great players to play in the NFL. Imagine if Butch Davis stayed longer in Miami, the Canes wouldn't be struggling around the late 2000s.

[@sega32xxx14]

Butch Davis is astonishingly underrated.

[@sega32xxx14]

Took over Florida International last year and in his first season took a team with a bad record, that played like a joke the year prior, with a well known poor overall team speed, and led them to a 9-6 record. This as a 65/66 year old man who hadn't coached in over 7 years.

[@CB_Highlights]

two words, Dennis Northcutt

[@100spurs]

Steelers need to see this at half time

[@rohan-ghosh]

You are here after the Browns made the playoffs after 18 years :D

[@TheLocalLt]

12:32 Dennis Northcutt blows the game for the Browns with a game-losing drop

[@kowacko7632]

not really.... go back to the drive the steelers scored, they had two dropped interceptions that could of ended the game too

[@dirtybirdambrose]

@@kowacko7632 Yeah, the dropped pick really killed them. The Northcutt drop hurt, but the Steelers still could have stopped that drive. The pick basically ends it.

[@TheLocalLt]

kO wackO defensive backs aren’t paid to catch, receivers are. Its like blaming Asante samuel for losing that super bowl for New England, he’s a db he don’t get paid for that. Northcutt had the game in his hands and he let down his (backup) qb who had thrown for 400 yards on the “blitzburgh” defense. It was inexcusable

[@dirtybirdambrose]

@@TheLocalLt I think that's an oversimplification of a DBs job duties. A secondary that can't produce interceptions on balls like that is going to result in drives being extended on their watch.

[@MrBabaGUM]

Watched it after btsc recaped it in the retro show. Love these guys! Shout out!

[@zoo3708]

Tommy has become WAY underrated over the years

[@Ghostmotorfinger]

As a Steelers fan. Still one of my favorite games to watch.

[@TommyC503]

They didn’t call him Tommy Turnover for nothing. Man, Maddox had some huge balls to attempt some of those throws!

[@bensantiago4557]

Still one of the craziest playoff games I ever seen

[@keithclark7266]

January 5, 2003.....early 3rd quarter, Cleveland led 24-7. Myself and many fans at the game believed the game was over. The resilience of the team came through as Pittsburgh outscored the Browns 29-9 in the last 27 minutes of game time.

[@johnkennedy3867]

Watching this AND knowing the outcome still had my heart skipping beats 😮

[@ljsmixbox44]

I remembered watching this game when I was in New Orleans.

[@KennyMcCormick99]

Wut a game! Better than I remembered!

[@zachrizzo6525]

Browns haven’t won a road playoff game since 1969

[@RedPillin]

Lets see if they get one. Haha

[@zachrizzo6525]

51 years later they do it

[@jefferyrobertson7520]

Cleveland Browns was member AFC Central Division and Pittsburgh Steelers was member AFC Central Division they are the best rivalry NFL history 1970 through 1993 era

[@TBSandNFL]

The "best rivalry" for 23 years never met in the post season.... Yeah, okaaaaay

[@dylanf3108]

TBSandNFL I always thought that Oilers/Steelers was better in the Central

[@ghostintheshell3576]

Steelers have always been comeback kings no matter what era

[@dfgatorfan]

I still can't believe we lost this game..

[@hollowpointsbullets6254]

That porter was the man.

[@Hudler]

Man, what a great game this was. The second-best pass Randle El ever threw!

[@mrhead6856]

the birth of renegade was in this game

[@soulesslemming]

This was the day after my roommates 21st birthday. I watched this game with a bucket by my head passed out with us down big and woke up to find we'd won. I was pleasantly surprised.

[@Videowatcher10p]

Hol up how these madden 03 graphics so good

[@ldfrazi]

Underrated comment 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@christianchappell4193]

This is not Madden

[@catfishyt9925]

Christian Alexander no shit

[@lightyagami3492]

That moment when two of the oldest teams in the same conference (and division) has only met up twice in the playoffs

[@otaviofrnazario]

Oddities of the NFL

[@voicevitality7197]

Now THAT is how a football field is supposed to look.

[@PENS68]

the wildcard games in these playoffs were complete 180s on both days. The Saturday games between The Jets and Colts and The Falcons and Packers were lopsided with the Jets shutting out the Colts 41-0 at the Meadowlands and the Falcons upsetting the Packers at LamBeau in blowout fashion 27-7 and then the Sunday games featured a 17 point comeback by the Steelers, who were down by 17 in the third quarter 24-7 and came back to win 36-33 and the 49ers and Giants were the Giants held a 38-14 lead, only to have the 49ers comeback to win 39-38.

[@travelwell8098]

What a game! So I watched this video after the '18 opener and Cleveland mounted a comeback in the 4th. (Sound familiar?) Reminded me of the Cardiac Kids. Ended up in a tie... but it was an exciting 4th quarter and OT! Steelers and Browns both had a chance to win. Good old fashioned football thriller in 2018!

[@pauljames21]

Damn, those Brownies were Tough.

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

The Browns, Bucs, and Raiders all made the playoffs in 2002. The only time that has ever happened in a non strike shortened season since Tampa entered the league in 1976.

[@James-wk5mj]

Kelly Holcomb was dropping serious dimes all game. Randel El was tearing it up

[@ComedyJakob]

1) That was an excellent football game 2) Kelly Holcomb apparently was great because that was an amazing performance by him 3) Typical Cleveland lol

[@Footballfansblue]

Kelly Holcomb wasn't great, but he was decent. He played a great game here though, but was only playing because Tim Couch got hurt after leading them to an 8-6 start.

[@SPTO]

I have to agree with +Golden Yellow in that the meme of the Browns always being terrible is a little old. As a Bills fan i've had to endure that as well. I have a deep respect and feel for Browns fans and want to see them have some success in 2018. Few people remember that the Browns were once one of the most dominant franchises in the league and a contender at least within the AFC. I remember the Marty Schottenheimer coached teams very well. Anywho, as for this game it was a damn entertaining one.

[@brianajemian2912]

@Rusty Shackelford yep. They deserve each loss.

[@Truetoo102]

I remember this game, it was a great game.

[@davel.v8695]

Good ole Tommy Maddox. Blast from the past. I only seen one Jerome Bettis play. Which was surprising. Don't think the Browns recovered after this game.

[@taylor860gang]

Damn i remember this like yesterday

[@joneswilliams2828]

Randle El and Dennic Northcutt; the 2 slot receivers were ELECTRIC in this game

[@ariasmiller8013]

I remember this game so vividly