Pittsburgh, PA — The Pittsburgh Steelers answered Cleveland’s pregame confidence with a commanding performance, controlling the line of scrimmage and shutting down their division rivals in a 27-6 victory at Acrisure Stadium.
Jaylen Warren delivered one of the best performances of his career on his 28th birthday, rushing for 143 yards and a touchdown to help Pittsburgh improve to 6-2 and take over first place in the AFC North. The Steelers also overwhelmed Cleveland’s offense with eight sacks and finished with 200 rushing yards.
The loss dropped the Browns to 5-3 and extended their regular-season losing streak in Pittsburgh to 23 consecutive games. That ties an NFL record for the most consecutive home victories by one team against the same opponent. Green Bay previously won 23 straight home games against Detroit between 1992 and 2014.
Pittsburgh’s physical approach was especially meaningful after a week of comments from Cleveland surrounding the matchup. Browns defensive standout Jared Verse had expressed confidence that his team could establish itself in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers made sure the visitors never found their footing.
“We’re here to play,” Steelers right guard Brock Hoffman said. “We’re here to be physical. We play the game the right way on both sides of the ball up front, and that’s what we want as our identity.”
The Steelers’ offensive line backed up that message, creating running lanes throughout the afternoon and consistently moving Cleveland’s defensive front backward. Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, finished with just one assisted tackle.
Despite the outcome, Verse maintained his position on the comments he made before the game, while acknowledging that Cleveland failed to deliver the performance necessary to support them.
He also criticized Pittsburgh left guard Mason McCormick for a first-quarter incident during a field-goal attempt in which Verse was driven headfirst into the ground. McCormick received an unnecessary roughness penalty and said he did not realize who he was dealing with at the time.
Pittsburgh’s success on the ground was a major difference. Warren and Rico Dowdle helped the Steelers produce three rushing touchdowns, two more than the team had scored during the entire season entering the contest.
Dowdle contributed 56 yards on the ground, including a 9-yard touchdown run up the middle in the first quarter that gave Pittsburgh an early advantage. The Steelers never surrendered that lead.
Warren praised his backfield teammate and emphasized how much the team’s success means to the entire group.
“Seeing him successful makes all of us happy,” Warren said. “That’s what makes us great.”
Pittsburgh continued to apply pressure offensively, scoring on four of its next five possessions. Tight end Pat Freiermuth added a 1-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak-style push play just before halftime, extending the Steelers’ lead to 20-6.
The touchdown came with only five seconds remaining in the half and no Pittsburgh timeouts available. The Steelers trusted their offensive line to create enough movement, and the group delivered, pushing Freiermuth across the goal line.
Head coach Mike McCarthy expressed confidence in the unit’s ability to execute in that situation.
“We have tremendous faith in that group,” McCarthy said.
The Steelers added to their advantage early in the third quarter when Aaron Rodgers connected with 6-foot-7 tight end Darnell Washington for a 58-yard reception. Washington used his size and strength to turn the catch into a major gain, setting up Warren’s 1-yard touchdown run.
By that point, Pittsburgh had established complete control, while Cleveland struggled to generate consistent offense.
Deshaun Watson faced pressure throughout the afternoon, as Pittsburgh’s pass rush repeatedly disrupted his timing. Watson finished with 324 passing yards, although much of that production came after the game had moved out of reach.
Watson briefly left the game in the first quarter after taking a late hit from Pittsburgh’s Jaquan Brisker. Shedeur Sanders entered for a short stretch, but his appearance ended after Harold Fannin Jr. lost a fumble.
Cleveland committed another fumble on its following possession, further damaging its chances of mounting a comeback.
The Browns entered the game believing they were making progress under first-year head coach Todd Monken, but the performance exposed areas that still need improvement.
Monken acknowledged that Cleveland did not play to its capabilities and stressed the importance of responding after a disappointing result.
“There’s no doubt about it, we’re certainly capable of a hell of a lot better than that,” Monken said. “Bottom line in this league is you speak with your play, and we didn’t play well enough today.”
For Pittsburgh, the victory provided more than another division win. It demonstrated the identity the Steelers want to establish: a physical offensive line, a productive running game and a defense capable of putting constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Injuries
Cleveland defensive tackle Maliek Collins sustained an elbow injury in the first half. Cornerback Tyson Campbell was evaluated for a possible concussion.
Up Next:
The Browns travel to New Orleans next Sunday as they look to rebound from the loss.
The Steelers enter their bye week before returning to action against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 15.
