Steelers lose K Chris Boswell after big hit vs. Browns on bizarre fake field goal - Yahoo Sports

In a game with points at a premium, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost their kicker on a bizarre fake field goal against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

With less than two minutes remaining in the first half of a 3-3 game, the Steelers faced fourth-and-9 at the Browns 10-yard line, a standard situation to kick a field goal. They lined up for one. But they had no intention of following through.

Instead of attempting a 28-yard field goal, kicker Chris Boswell took a direct snap and ran to his right. He looked. He looked some more. And by the time he approached the sideline, he still hadn't found an open receiver. So he chucked the ball up in desperation a fraction of a second before Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott walloped him.

Here's another angle of the hit.

As a kicker, there's a decent chance that's the biggest blow Boswell's ever suffered on a football field. He got up from it clearly woozy. 

Boswell ruled out with concussion

Moments later, he walked gingerly to the locker room with Steelers staffers at his side. The game went to halftime without another Steelers kicking situation, and he didn't return to the field for the third quarter, which saw the Browns kick off. Meanwhile punter Pressley Harvin III was practicing kicks at halftime. The Steelers announced that he was being evaluated for a concussion and later ruled him out for the game.

In a 3-3 game, the Steelers put themselves at a significant disadvantage by risking Boswell.

Injury costs Steelers at first kicking opportunity

It cost them on their first would-be kicking opportunity in the third quarter. After scoring a touchdown to cut Cleveland's lead to 10-9, Pittsburgh faced an obvious extra-point situation — if they had a kicker, that is. But since they don't, they went for a two-point conversion, which almost paid off.

Ben Roethlisberger broke through the Cleveland defense on a sneak to secure the conversion and a would-be 11-10 lead. But the played got wiped out by a holding penalty, pushing the Steelers back 10 yards. Not even the distance to goal after the penalty prompted head coach Mike Tomlin to give Pressley — who's not an experienced kicker — a shot at the extra point. The Steelers went for a long two-point conversion, and Roethlisberger's pass fell incomplete to keep Cleveland leading, 10-9. 

Would-be FG ends up as Steelers TD

A possession later, Boswell's absence actually worked out in Pittsburgh's favor. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Pittsburgh faced another obvious kicking situation, this time with a field goal while trailing 10-9.

Instead they went for a touchdown. And they converted one on Week 8's most spectacular plays. Roethlisberger looked left to the back of the end zone to a well-covered Pat Freiermuth. But the Steelers tight end outfought safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. for a bobbling catch at the end line and managed secure possession with both feet down before falling out of bounds. 

They failed again on the two-point conversion, but came away from the drive with a 15-0 lead.

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