Sep 30, 2002 By Mike Ciarochi 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – Just when you thought the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers were going to bore you to death, they combined for one of the most exciting and improbable finishes in recent NFL history. The Steelers prevailed, 16-13, on Todd Peterson’s 31-yard field goal with 7:46 remaining in overtime. It was Pittsburgh’s first win in three games this season, while Cleveland fell to 2-2. It was the first AFC North Division game for both teams.

“It was a classic finish,” Steelers coach Bill Cowher said.

“Whatever could happen, happened today,” quarterback and hero-for-a-day Tommy Maddox said.

After the teams sleepwalked to a 6-6 tie through three quarters, they awoke in grand fashion for the fourth quarter, which started with Cleveland’s Jamel White scoring up the middle on a 4-yard touchdown run to give Cleveland a 13-6 lead.

The play seemed to depress the detonator. It started the explosions that didn’t end until the game did.

Steelers starting quarterback Kordell Stewart then was intercepted in the end zone by Cleveland’s Robert Griffith on a pass to Hines Ward. It was Stewart’s first interception of the day, but earlier he had fumbled a snap on third-and-goal from the Cleveland 1-yard line.

Pittsburgh’s defense held, giving way to Maddox’s heroics. He replaced Stewart and moved the team 77 yards on seven plays, all in the air. The drive was capped by a 10-yard TD pass to Plaxico Burress that tied the score with 2:02 remaining.

“It was a great opportunity for me,” Maddox said. “Unfortunately, in this game it comes at someone else’s expense sometimes. That is the nature of the position. If it ends on my interception, I sit here and get bombarded, too.”

Luckily for Maddox and the Steelers, the game didn’t end earlier in overtime. Maddox’s first pass of the extra session went right to Cleveland linebacker Andra Davis to set up the Browns at Pittsburgh’s 34-yard line.

Cleveland’s offense moved the ball only to the Steelers’ 27-yard line, leaving Phil Dawson a 45-yard field goal attempt for the win. But the kick bounced off the helmet of Steelers defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen on its way to bouncing off the left upright.

“I jumped and it went through my hands and hit the top of my head,” von Oelhoffen said. “I don’t know if it was a bad kick, but it was a low kick.

Ironically, it became the second game in four that Cleveland lost because of a helmet. The Browns lost their opener to Kansas City when linebacker Dwayne Rudd removed his helmet while still on the field. The resulting penalty put the Chiefs in position to win the game on a field goal. This time, von Oelhoffen’s helmet, used properly, helped make the kick errant.

Maddox then marched the Steelers 52 yards on 11 plays by completing all five of his passes and even running for a first down on third-and-1. All that did was set up the strangest play you may ever see.

Todd Peterson’s 24-yard field goal attempt, on second down by design, was blocked at the line of scrimmage and bounced backward, where Peterson recovered and started heading for the end zone.

“I saw the right corner of the end zone and I thought maybe I’d make some fantastic dive across the goal line, knock the cone down and they’d call it a touchdown,” Peterson said in jest. “I just said ‘run.’ It was like a predator coming after his prey and I knew someone was going to come after me.”

The predator was Cleveland cornerback Anthony Henry, who caused a Peterson fumble on his tackle. John Fiala recovered for Pittsburgh in what became the play of the game.

Since Peterson’s kick didn’t cross the line of scrimmage, the Steelers knew they would get another crack at kicking the winner if they recovered the ball. If it had gone past the line, Cleveland would have taken over regardless of which team recovered.

“I called it on second down because of a possible bad snap,” Cowher said. “Then, (holder) Tommy Maddox could just fall on it and we try it again. The only other thing I considered was running another play so Todd could regain his composure.”

That, like the first three quarters, was not necessary. Peterson went right out, lined up and nailed the game-winning 31-yard field goal and the Steelers had the win.