NFL: Cleveland's 13-6 win snaps 12-game losing streak vs. rival Pittsburgh

CLEVELAND — There's nothing Super about the Pittsburgh Steelers anymore.

The defending NFL champions lost their fifth straight and had their playoff hopes sacked by the lowly Cleveland Browns, who ended a 12-game losing streak against their bitter rival by beating the Steelers 13-6 on Thursday night in subzero wind chills.

Ben Roethlisberger was sacked eight times and lost for the first time in 11 career games against the Browns (2-11), who extended Pittsburgh's longest losing streak in six years and defeated the Steelers (6-7) at home for the first time since 2000.

"A long time coming," Browns quarterback Brady Quinn said.

Pittsburgh's postseason chances are in peril — if not over completely. Unexpected losses to Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland — three of the NFL's worst teams with a combined record of 9-28 — have pushed it to the brink.

"There's nothing fun about losing games, especially five in a row," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "We're better than that. We should play better than that. With three games left, you're going to see who really wants to go out here and play for the pride of this organization and this city and who doesn't want to be around here."

Chris Jennings scored on a 10-yard run, and Phil Dawson kicked a pair of 29-yard field goals for the Browns, who snapped a seven-game losing streak and a 10-game slide at home, and beat the Steelers for just the second time in 20 games.

Roethlisberger tried to rally the Steelers, but his fourth-down pass to Santonio Holmes with less than two minutes left was knocked down by linebacker David Bowens.

The win was just the second for Cleveland's embattled first-year coach Eric Mangini, who certainly helped his job security by beating Pittsburgh, something no Browns coach had done since Chris Palmer nine years ago.

Notes

• Tony Romo doesn't really want to be a holder again for what he calls "obvious reasons." Yet if having him hold will help kicker Nick Folk regain his accuracy, then Romo is willing to resume the role that left him in tears the last time he did it for Dallas.

"When you're the quarterback of a football team, really all that matters is winning," Romo said.

Romo bobbled his last hold for Dallas, in a January 2007 playoff game in Seattle. The flub cost the Cowboys a chance to beat the Seahawks, and it left Romo tearfully apologizing to his teammates afterward.

Folk has missed eight kicks this season with punter Mat McBriar holding. He missed only seven kicks over the first two years of his career when backup quarterback Brad Johnson was the holder.

• Kerry Rhodes is frustrated by the uncertainty of his role with the New York Jets. The star safety was demoted by coach Rex Ryan two games ago for poor play, but believes he'll be on the field for the first defensive snap at Tampa Bay on Sunday. After that, though, is a mystery to him.

"Who knows at the end of the game?" an irritated Rhodes said. "I don't know. I may go up there in the press box with you all and watch it. We'll see how that goes."

• JaMarcus Russell says he was "embarrassed" when he was benched by Oakland coach Tom Cable and plans to work hard to regain his starting quarterback role for the Raiders.

Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, lost his job this season after completing less than half his passes and committing 14 turnovers in nine games. He called the demotion a "road bump" but believes he is still the team's quarterback of the future.

• A woman who claims Baltimore LB Terrell Suggs fathered her two children has filed a $70 million suit against the football player — $50 million in punitive damages and $20 million in compensatory damages. Candace Williams also is seeking a restraining order. She claims Suggs knocked her down and poured bleach on her and their son.