The Browns went to Pittsburgh on Sunday looking for something they still haven’t found in the regular season since 2003, and they got the opposite of what they wanted. Cleveland was beaten 27-6 by the Steelers in a game that never felt competitive, never turned into the fight Browns fans were hoping for, and never produced the late-game rescue acts that had defined some of Cleveland’s better moments earlier this season.
It was a rough afternoon across the board, and the grades reflect it.
Deshaun Watson’s day set the tone early. The stat line may not scream disaster, but the play did.
He lost an early fumble, held the ball too long when receivers were open, and took eight sacks while never putting Cleveland in position to threaten. Watson was running around trying to avoid pressure instead of settling in and making decisive throws, and too many of his incompletions were tipped by Pittsburgh’s defensive linemen.
He did finish with 324 passing yards, but 197 of those came in the fourth quarter with the Browns trying to chase the game. Cleveland managed 319 total yards, yet Watson never got the offense into the end zone.
The backfield didn’t help much either. Quinshon Judkins had a frustrating game, dancing in the backfield and taking an unsportsmanlike penalty after a first down on a pass play.
He continues to struggle as a runner, often meeting contact instead of slipping past it. Dylan Sampson was the more productive of the two, especially as a receiver.
He caught six passes for 62 yards and added a couple of kick returns for a 24.5-yard average.
There was at least one bright spot among the pass catchers. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was the clear standout, hauling in 10 catches for 154 yards. KC Concepcion added three receptions for 37 yards after his career game a week earlier, while rookie Denzel Boston finished with six catches for 37 yards.
Up front, though, Cleveland got pushed around. The offensive line couldn’t create room in the run game, and the Browns finished with just 34 rushing yards.
The unit also watched Watson get sacked eight times, even if not all of those losses were on the blockers, since Watson repeatedly drifted into pressure while holding the ball. On the other side of the ball, the defensive line was overwhelmed.
Pittsburgh ran for 200 yards on only 33 carries and controlled the line of scrimmage with ease.
The problems didn’t stop there. Cleveland’s linebackers and defensive backs had one of their worst outings of the season.
Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams were exposed in coverage, with Schwesinger out of position multiple times and Williams drawing a personal foul late. The secondary had its own issues, starting with Denzel Ward’s high tackle attempt on Jaylen Warren early in the game that turned into an easy touchdown when Warren ran straight through it.
That kind of effort showed up too often and helped drag the Browns into an ugly loss.
At least Andre Szmyt handled his job. He made both of his field goals, including a 49-yarder.
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For a team that has spent plenty of time in the draft lottery conversation, that kind of setup is worth watching. The current 2027 order already reflects a few traded picks around the league, and the Browns own spot is now lined up just behind the Rams, creating a twist that could matter if the front office starts thinking beyond the weekly grind and toward how those first-round assets might be used. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Just Got A Real AFC North Opening To Exploit
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Browns Offense Just Put Clevelands Discipline Problem In The Spotlight
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Stefanskis message was plain: the responsibility is collective, and the fix has to be, too. He said there is room for the Browns to improve and move forward, but only if they learn from a performance that left too many openings for the opponent. That leaves Cleveland with a familiar midseason challenge, turning an ugly loss into something useful before the mistakes start to define the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]