The Browns spent Thursday night surviving all the usual AFC North chaos and still came away on top.
Cleveland beat Pittsburgh in a stressful, back-and-forth game at home, pulling out the win late to move to 3-1 and take over first place in the AFC North as Week 4 got rolling. The Browns led from the middle of the second quarter on, but the Steelers kept hanging around and made the fourth quarter miserable in the way only division games can.
Andre Szmyt ended up with the kind of kick that can define a night. He drilled a 56-yarder late, a pressure-packed strike that looked good from about 65 yards, and it was his 22nd straight make.
The Browns had to absorb some major hits along the way, too. Mason Graham went down early, and that mattered immediately because he had been one of the defense’s best players to start the season.
Mike Hall also left on a cart with an ankle injury, though he later returned in the third quarter and delivered a huge sack on Aaron Rodgers that pushed Pittsburgh out of field goal range. The Steelers’ ensuing punt then sailed out of the end zone, which kept Cleveland from getting buried deep.
Pittsburgh had its own missed opportunity when Chris Boswell pulled a field goal left in the second quarter, leaving Cleveland ahead 14-7 at the time. That margin held up because the Browns kept forcing the Steelers into uncomfortable spots.
The home crowd was part of the story, too. Even after the Browns opened with a three-and-out and then surrendered a 17-play touchdown drive, the building stayed loud and disruptive. The noise seemed to rattle Pittsburgh at times, sparked penalties, and generally made life harder for the Steelers offense.
Cleveland’s defense mixed pressure and coverage well for much of the night. Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell made it difficult for Pittsburgh to find easy answers on the outside, and Rodgers was forced to keep looking elsewhere.
The Browns also kept changing up their blitz looks, and those pressures were paired with the right coverage behind them. Quincy Williams stood out with his speed, showing up in coverage and on a few blitzes while working alongside Carson Schwesinger.
Devin Bush also played well for Cleveland.
Rodgers still found ways to keep the Steelers alive, and the veteran finished the fourth quarter strongly. But the constant hits, sacks, and pressure clearly took a toll over the course of the game.
On the other side, Deshaun Watson had a mixed night. He was sharp in the second quarter, then largely stalled out in the second half before the final drive.
There are still questions about his arm strength and ball security when he runs, and the game included a late miss that could have ended things. Watson had Harold Fannin Jr. wide open on a fourth-quarter throw moving left, but the pass got away from him.
Afterward, Watson said he made things harder on his team than he needed to.
Still, Cleveland did enough offensively to keep Pittsburgh from locking in on just a couple of players. Seven Browns caught passes and four different players logged runs, and Jerry Jeudy made some big plays late.
The running game also came around in the second half. Cleveland finished with 112 rushing yards, more than Pittsburgh, and used that ground work to help manage the lead before Monken leaned away from it as the Steelers pushed back.
There were some smart usage decisions, too, especially with rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. The idea is simple: let Boston work on deeper balls, outs, and slants where his size matters, while getting Concepcion the ball in space with quick routes and screens.
Not everything was clean, though. A tipped pass turned into an interception for Pittsburgh instead of a defensive pass interference call, thanks to Jack Sawyer getting a fingertip on the ball. And Browns corner Myles Harden had another rough outing; after looking better the past two weeks, this one seemed to invite Pittsburgh to throw his way whenever possible.
Even with all of that, Cleveland found a way to close it out. A two-point conversion tied the game after Jared Verse went offsides on the first try, setting up a better look for Rodgers’ QB sneak. But in the end, Szmyt’s leg and the Browns’ defense carried the night.
The Browns are 3-1, sitting atop the AFC North and heading into some extra rest for Week 5. For Cleveland fans, that kind of win is stressful, but it sure is fun.
In Other News...
Andrew Whitworth Sounds Off On Bengals Trust In Joe Burrow
Andrew Whitworths latest comments landed with the kind of force only a former Bengals captain can deliver. On his podcast, the retired tackle made clear he wants Cincinnati to show more trust in Joe Burrow and loosen up an offense that has too often looked cautious, especially when the quarterback is the clearest strength on the roster. For a team built around Burrow, that sort of critique from Whitworth serves as a reminder that the conversation around the offense is not just about execution, but about identity.
The backdrop makes the point even sharper because the Bengals have had other issues in the mix, from defensive lapses to discipline concerns after a recent game. Dexter Lawrence pointed to penalties and tackling as areas that need cleaning up, while Evan McPherson was honored as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his field goal work. Even with that recognition on special teams, the bigger question around Cincinnati remains whether the offense will lean harder into the quarterback who gives it the best chance to take control. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Secondary Suddenly Has A New Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Bengals Week 3 win over Pittsburgh carried more than one ripple effect, especially along the Steelers defense, where Cincinnati helped neutralize T.J. Watt and keep the pass rush from taking over. Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher singled out right tackle Amarius Mims for the job he did in that matchup, a sign that the rookies work in pass protection may have mattered as much as anything else in helping Cincinnati survive the front end of Pittsburghs pressure package.
Now the attention shifts to a Steelers secondary that suddenly looks far less stable than it did just a week ago. Jalen Ramsey said he broke his right wrist in the game against Cincinnati, while Joey Porter Jr. briefly returned to practice before being ruled out for the next game because of a back injury and then dealt to the Cowboys, leaving Pittsburgh with another hole to fill on the back end. For a Bengals team that already showed it can hold up against the Steelers best rusher, the changing picture in that secondary only adds to the intrigue the next time these teams line up. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Discipline Problem They Cant Keep Ignoring
For a team that spent the 2025 season near the top of the NFLs cleanest clubs, the Bengals early return in 2026 has been jarring. Cincinnati ranked second in fewest penalties overall last year, but through three games this season the group has already piled up the most pre-snap penalties in the league and sits fifth in total flags, a sharp swing that has changed the feel of drives before they can really get going.
The problem is not just the number of penalties, but when they arrive. Several have wiped out key plays and turned manageable moments into long, frustrating possessions, with the visible irritation spreading across the sideline. For a team trying to stay sharp in a tight AFC race, the question is no longer whether the issue is real - it is how long the Bengals can keep treating it like a temporary glitch. [Read more 🡒]