PITTSBURGH - The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers played a wild and strange game Sunday, with the Steelers winning, 30-27, on a field goal on the game's final play.
Probably the strangest play of all came in the second quarter when Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown broke into the clear on a punt return. With Browns punter Spencer Lanning in the middle of the field as probably the last man Brown had to beat, Brown made an interesting choice in trying to beat Lanning.
He tried to jump over him.
In a way, it worked.
"It was just like getting run over by somebody," Lanning said after the game. "I guess he felt he couldn't juke me so he tried to jump over me."
Brown never really regained his balance after his cleats ended up in Lanning's facemask, but he was tackled by Jim Dray and Jim Leonhard at the Browns 35-yard line after a return of 36 yards.
The officials huddled for more than 30 seconds before referee Carl Cheffers announced Brown had been flagged for kicking Lanning in the face, an unnecessary roughness penalty of 15 yards.
Lanning had fun with it, tweeting a picture of Brown kicking him after the game and writing "Wait, wait, wait...when did this happen?"
Wait, wait, wait... When did this happen?!? pic.twitter.com/SzU9wDVx23
— Spencer Lanning (@LanningSpencer) September 7, 2014
Lanning said he looked for Brown on the field after the game but didn't find him. He said there was no ill will but maintained that the Steelers running with Brown made a mistake not blocking Lanning, leaving Brown to try the jumping route.
"I appreciate the compliment," Lanning said.
