Andre Szmyt’s right leg ended up deciding a game that swung all over the place before Cleveland finally put it away.
Szmyt drilled a career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, and Grant Delpit picked off Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary a few moments later as the Browns escaped with a 27-24 win over the Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. The result gave Cleveland sole possession of the AFC North lead until Sunday, at the very least.
It was the kind of finish that only looked comfortable after the fact. Cleveland had been up 21-10 heading into the fourth quarter, but Pittsburgh kept hanging around, then capitalized on Browns mistakes late to pull even at 24 with under two minutes left. Even then, Deshaun Watson answered enough to set up the winner.
Watson finished 24 of 33 for 268 yards and a touchdown, though he also threw his second interception of the season on a deep ball into triple coverage for rookie Denzel Boston. Still, he helped drive Cleveland into position with a seven-play march that burned about a minute and a half off the clock before Szmyt stepped in.
The Browns got rolling after a rocky opening. Pittsburgh scored on its first possession when Roman Wilson hauled in a 12-yard touchdown, but Denzel Ward intercepted Rodgers on the Steelers’ next drive and Cleveland ripped off 21 straight points from there.
Jaleel McLaughlin started the surge with a 28-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, giving Cleveland its first rushing touchdown of the season. Quinshon Judkins followed with a 2-yard scoring run up the middle to make it 14-7, and then Watson found Fannin for a 2-yard touchdown pass, with the second-year tight end using his body to keep Jalen Ramsey from getting to the ball.
Pittsburgh’s defensive backfield had a rough night, especially with the team having officially traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys the day before. The Steelers gave up nine catches for 153 yards to Browns rookies KC Concepcion and Boston, while Jerry Jeudy chipped in a couple of key grabs late. Pittsburgh also lost starter Jamel Dean to an ankle injury in the first half, and he did not return.
The Browns took hits of their own. Team sack leader Mason Graham left in the opening quarter with a knee injury and was ruled out, and defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. exited in the second after his leg got rolled up by a teammate.
The closing minutes turned messy fast, with penalties helping Pittsburgh climb back. On the drive that tied the game at 24, rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was flagged for defensive pass interference on fourth-and-10 from Cleveland’s 11, giving the Steelers a lifeline.
Rodgers then hit Pat Freiermuth for a 3-yard touchdown on the next play. On the 2-point try, Jared Verse was called for defensive offsides, cutting the distance in half, and Rodgers sneaked it in to tie the game.
That still left Watson one more chance, and he made it count just enough. He connected with Fannin, Jeudy and Concepcion on the go-ahead march, and if not for a badly overthrown pass to Concepcion on third-and-8 from the Steelers’ 38, Szmyt’s winning kick would have been much shorter.
The Browns also improved to 5-0 all-time against divisional opponents on Thursday night, while the Steelers dropped to 0-8 on the road against AFC North teams in Thursday night games.
In Other News...
Browns Win Created A New Offensive Debate Cleveland Can't Ignore
The Browns walked out of Pittsburgh with another win, and it did more than extend their streak to three games and keep them atop the AFC North. It also sharpened the picture of how this offense is trying to win right now, with Jerry Jeudy helping to move the chains on the decisive drive and McLaughlin breaking loose for a 28-yard touchdown on just his second carry in a Browns uniform.
Cade York then finished it off from 56 yards, a career-long kick that extended his streak to 22 straight makes and gave Cleveland a victory built on more than just defense and field position. The result was exactly what the Browns wanted, but it also left a familiar question hanging over an offense that keeps finding different answers in big moments. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Need Mike Hall Jr In A Spot They Feared
Mason Grahams early exit against the Steelers put an already thin Browns defensive line under immediate stress, and it changed the look of the rotation in a hurry. Cleveland has been managing injury issues up front for a while, including Kalia Davis landing on injured reserve, so every snap at defensive tackle matters more than it normally would for a defense built to win with depth and waves.
Maliek Collins helped steady things with a sack after Graham went down, but the bigger concern is how much Cleveland can ask of Mike Hall Jr. from here. The Browns had been hoping to avoid leaning too hard on that part of the roster, and now they may not have much choice if Grahams knee issue lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Monken Had A Sideline Moment Browns Fans Will Notice
For a few minutes on Thursday night, the Browns had a little more than just a comfortable lead over Pittsburgh to enjoy. With Cleveland up 21-7 in the second quarter, head coach Todd Monken was caught on broadcast cameras chatting on the sideline and even drawing a laugh from an official, a rare lighthearted moment in the middle of a division game with plenty on the line.
It stood out because those kinds of exchanges are not usually the part of the night anyone remembers once the game tightens up. In a matchup that would later get more stressful as the Steelers started pushing back, the brief sideline scene offered Browns fans a glimpse of Monken in a looser moment while his team was still in control. [Read more 🡒]