Andre Szmyt delivered the biggest kick of his career, drilling a 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, and Grant Delpit sealed it by intercepting Aaron Rodgers’ Hail Mary as the Cleveland Browns escaped with a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field.
The result gave Cleveland sole possession of the AFC North lead, at least until Sunday. It also extended two odd Thursday-night trends: the Browns improved to 5-0 all-time against divisional opponents on Thursday nights, while the Steelers dropped to 0-8 on the road against AFC North teams in Thursday night games.
Cleveland had been in control for much of the night, carrying a 21-10 lead into the fourth quarter. But Pittsburgh kept hanging around, then took advantage of Browns mistakes late to drag the game into a tie with less than two minutes remaining. What had looked like a comfortable finish turned into a tense final stretch.
Deshaun Watson, who was sharp for most of the game, shook off a fourth-quarter interception and a couple of off-target throws late to guide the Browns on a seven-play drive that ate about a minute and a half off the clock. That sequence set up Szmyt for the winner and left the Steelers needing a miracle.
Watson finished 24 of 33 for 268 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw his second interception of the season on a deep ball into triple coverage for rookie Denzel Boston.
Pittsburgh struck first on its opening possession, when Roman Wilson caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. But Rodgers was picked off on the Steelers’ next drive by Denzel Ward, and that opened the door for Cleveland’s 21 unanswered points.
The Browns’ first rushing touchdown of the season came early in the second quarter when Jaleel McLaughlin cut through traffic and raced 28 yards to the end zone. Quinshon Judkins added another with a 2-yard run up the middle, pushing Cleveland ahead 14-7 midway through the second.
Watson then found Fannin on a 2-yard touchdown pass, with the second-year tight end using his body to shield the ball from Jalen Ramsey.
It was a rough night for Pittsburgh’s defensive backs, especially with the team having officially traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys one day earlier. Cleveland rookies KC Concepcion and Boston combined for nine catches and 153 yards, while Jerry Jeudy made a pair of important grabs late. Steelers starter Jamel Dean left in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return.
Cleveland paid a price, too. Sack leader Mason Graham went down with a knee injury in the opening quarter and was ruled out. Defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. later exited after his leg was rolled up by a teammate in the second quarter.
The fourth quarter also turned into a penalty-filled mess. On Pittsburgh’s drive to tie the game at 24 inside the two-minute mark, rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was flagged for defensive pass interference on fourth-and-10 from the Browns’ 11-yard line, giving the Steelers new life.
Rodgers hit Pat Freiermuth for a 3-yard touchdown on the next play. Then Jared Verse was called for an offside on the 2-point try, shortening the distance and helping Pittsburgh tie it on Rodgers’ sneak.
Still, Watson had one more drive left. He connected with Fannin, Jeudy and Concepcion to move Cleveland into position, and a badly overthrown pass to Concepcion on third-and-8 from the Steelers’ 38 kept Szmyt from having to try from even farther out. In the end, his career-long field goal and Delpit’s interception were enough to finish off a wild one.
In Other News...
Steelers Defense Just Took A Brutal Hit Against The Browns
A Thursday night collision with the Browns brought an early injury scare for Pittsburgh, as defensive tackle Derrick Harmon was carted off with a foot injury and quickly listed as questionable. The timing could not have been worse for a defense already trying to slow Clevelands momentum, with the Browns taking a 21-10 lead into halftime.
Harmons exit leaves the Steelers with a bigger problem than just one missing body in the middle. His presence matters in both the run game and the pass rush, and Pittsburgh now has to adjust on the fly while trying to keep Cleveland from controlling the line of scrimmage. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Just Complicated One Steelers Blame Game
Aaron Rodgers added a layer to the Steelers postgame frustration after the late possession in the loss to Cleveland, pushing back on the idea that the play was simply about Jaylen Warren being the intended answer on second down. Rodgers said five players were running routes on the snap, a reminder that what looks obvious from the outside can be a lot messier once protection, timing and route distribution come into play.
For a Pittsburgh offense still trying to sort through what went wrong in a tight, late-game sequence, that matters. The ball ending up with Warren does not automatically tell the full story of the design, and Rodgers explanation points to the kind of breakdown that can involve more than one player and more than one decision. In a game that already invited blame, the more interesting question may be how much of that play was about execution, and how much was about the pressure closing in around it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Already Have A Rodgers-McCarthy Sideline Problem
The Steelers got a little reminder in Week 4 that bringing familiar faces together does not always mean smooth sailing. During Thursday nights game against the Browns, Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy were caught in a heated sideline exchange after Rodgers grew frustrated over a delayed play call, and McCarthy fired back with a profane retort.
For Pittsburgh, it was the kind of moment that can linger because of how much history is wrapped into it. Rodgers and McCarthy won a Super Bowl together in Green Bay before reuniting in Pittsburgh, so the chemistry was never going to be a mystery, but neither was the possibility of old competitive habits resurfacing when the pressure ratchets up. Fans who were hoping for a clean reunion got a glimpse of something a lot messier, and it will be worth watching how that dynamic plays out moving forward. [Read more 🡒]