The Browns didn’t just beat the Steelers on Thursday night - they kept rolling into first place in the AFC North, running their win streak to three. And while the spotlight usually lands on the headliners, this one had plenty of supporting actors who made the difference.
Start with Andre Szmyt, because when a game ends on a kick like that, the kicker owns the night. The Browns trusted him after a rough debut in Week 1 last season, when plenty of fans - and several analysts - wanted him gone immediately.
Cleveland stayed patient, and that patience looks smarter every week. Szmyt is 8/8 this season, and against Pittsburgh he ripped a career-long 56-yarder to win it after the Browns drove to the edge of his range.
He’s now made 22 straight kicks, which is about as steady as it gets. Corey Bojorquez and Rex Sunahara deserve a nod too; that special teams group has been one of the best in the league.
Jerry Jeudy also came through when the Browns needed a calm hand. It’s been a strange year for him, with Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion expected to push him down the depth chart over time, only for that slide to happen faster than anyone thought.
He’d dropped to wide receiver three and had just one target over the previous two weeks. But Todd Monken has said more than once that fans just want to see good football, and Jeudy gave them exactly that on Thursday.
He got his first catch in the third quarter for a first down, then barely appeared again until the closing drive. That’s where he made his mark, grabbing a 17-yard pass and then a 10-yard catch to help set up the game-winning field goal.
He looked like the dependable veteran Deshaun Watson needed in the clutch, and even with his time in Cleveland possibly limited, he showed he still brings value as both a player and a leader.
Then there was Trayveon McLaughlin, the kind of name that can sneak into a box score and still end up mattering a lot. Cleveland signed him just a few weeks ago after Dylan Sampson went on IR, and the expectation was that he’d mostly help on special teams.
Instead, he flashed real juice behind Quinshon Judkins and Rahiem Sanders. On just his second carry as a Brown, McLaughlin broke free for a 28-yard touchdown, making multiple defenders miss on the way to the end zone.
The Browns’ run game has struggled this season, but McLaughlin gave it a spark against Pittsburgh. He didn’t get much more work after that, but the play clearly lit a fuse for Judkins.
Cleveland still needs more consistency on the ground, and McLaughlin now owns the team’s longest rush of the season. Judkins is sitting at just three yards per carry, and there are backs right behind him waiting for their chance.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Mike Hall Jr. Gave Browns Fans The Exact Tone This Team Wants
Mike Hall Jr. gave the Browns exactly the kind of response teams look for when the game gets messy. After an ankle injury in the matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the defensive tackle still found his way back onto the field and delivered a key sack on Aaron Rodgers, helping steady a defense that needed answers in the moment. He wound up playing 30 defensive snaps after starter Mason Graham went down, and his presence was part of a gritty effort that helped Cleveland get out with a 27-24 win.
Todd Monken pointed to Hall's effort as the kind of example the Browns want setting the tone inside the building. It was not just about the sack or the extra snaps, but about showing resilience when the game and the health report both turned inconvenient. For a Cleveland team trying to make toughness more than a talking point, Hall's night fit the message perfectly. [Read more 🡒]