PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers backups assured the Cleveland Browns of the top pick in the 2017 draft.
Landry Jones hit Cobi Hamilton with a 26-yard touchdown with 2:57 left in overtime and the Steelers edged the Browns 27-24 on Sunday.
The Browns took a lead on Cody Parkey‘s 34-yard field goal with 7:17 remaining in the extra session.
Jones, who started while the playoff-bound Steelers rested Ben Roethlisberger, took the Steelers 75 yards in nine plays, the last a pretty lob to the end zone that Hamilton hauled in to give Pittsburgh (11-5) its seventh straight victory after a 4-5 start.
Jones finished with 277 yards passing and three touchdowns and one interception.
The Steelers will host Miami in the wild-card round next weekend. The Dolphins thumped Pittsburgh 30-15 on Oct. 16.
Isaiah Crowell ran for a career-high 152 yards for the Browns (1-15), who finished with the worst record in franchise history.
Robert Griffin III passed for 232 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but Cleveland missed a chance to beat the Steelers on the road for the first time since 2003 when it squandered a couple of golden opportunities late.
The Browns fumbled with the ball inside the Pittsburgh 5 with a minute to go in regulation and had a first-and-goal at the Pittsburgh 2 turn into a field goal by Parkey, extending the game.
The AFC North champion Steelers sat most of their big names with the third seed in the playoffs already sewn up after a thrilling comeback win over Baltimore last week.
It gave Heinz Field a decidedly preseason-like feel, at least for the guys wearing black and gold.
Cleveland, coming off its first victory in more than a calendar year, looked far more engaged early. Griffin, cleared to play after sustaining a concussion against San Diego, showed small flashes of competence during his best half of football of the season.
Griffin hit Seth DeValve for a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter and found Gary Barnidge for a 4-yard strike in the second as the Browns built a 14-0 lead.
Griffin threw a pick in the red zone to thwart one drive then watched a snap sail over his head on Cleveland’s next possession to set up an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jones to DeAngelo Williams and the Steelers were right back in it.