PITTSBURGH — The Cleveland Browns entered Sunday's AFC North showdown with Pittsburgh looking to extend their winning streak to three games. Instead, an offense that struggled throughout the afternoon and a Pittsburgh rushing attack that dominated the first half sent Cleveland to a 27-6 defeat at Acrisure Stadium.
The loss dropped the Browns to 5-3, while Pittsburgh improved to 6-2. Cleveland failed to score a touchdown, and quarterback Deshaun Watson spent much of the afternoon running for his life from Pittsburgh's defense.
The Browns' problems began almost immediately. On their opening possession, Watson briefly left the game for a concussion evaluation following a hit by Jaquan Brisker, forcing Shedeur Sanders into action. Sanders completed a short pass to Harold Fannin Jr., but Daylen Everette forced a fumble and recovered it for Pittsburgh. Cleveland lost another fumble on its next possession by Watson on a sack, with Keeanu Benton recovering at the Browns' 45-yard line.
Pittsburgh converted the second turnover into the game's first touchdown when Rico Dowdle scored on a 9-yard run. The Steelers dominated the ground game throughout the first half, rushing for 160 yards, including 102 from Jaylen Warren, who broke loose for a 51-yard run during the opening quarter.
The Steelers continued running well in the second quarter, although Cleveland's defense prevented two first-and-goal possessions from reaching the end zone. Chris Boswell connected on field goals of 20 and 37 yards, while Andre Szmyt answered with kicks of 32 and 49 yards for the Browns.
Cleveland appeared headed into halftime trailing 13-6, but Pittsburgh put together a six-play, 69-yard touchdown drive in the final 44 seconds. Aaron Rodgers connected with Pat Freiermuth for a 28-yard gain before Freiermuth took a direct snap and scored from a yard out with five seconds remaining, giving the Steelers a 20-6 halftime lead.
Pittsburgh extended the lead in the third quarter when Rodgers found Darnell Washington for a 58-yard gain to the Cleveland 1-yard line. Warren scored on the following play, putting the Steelers ahead 27-6 with 9:42 remaining in the period. And officially putting the Browns in deep trouble.
The Browns' defense kept Pittsburgh off the scoreboard the rest of the afternoon, with Denzel Ward intercepting Rodgers in the third quarter. Cleveland's offense, however, couldn't take advantage, even after Watson connected with Fannin for 37 yards to the Pittsburgh 2-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Quinshon Judkins lost three yards on first down, and Watson followed with three consecutive incompletions, turning the ball over on downs.
Cleveland later drove into Pittsburgh territory again, but a Cam Heyward sack helped derail the possession. Facing fourth-and-17 at the Steelers' 30-yard line, Watson completed a 9-yard pass to Blake Whiteheart, well short of the first-down marker.
Cleveland's inability to protect Watson, establish its running game, or finish drives proved too much to overcome. After entering the afternoon with five wins in its first seven games, the Browns now face the challenge of responding to one of their most lopsided defeats of the season.
What's Next
The Browns remain on the road next Sunday, November 8, when they face the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, with CBS carrying the game.
