Cleveland Browns beat Pittsburgh Steelers in Thursday night thriller
Browns 27, Steelers 24
CLEVELAND (AP) —
Deshaun Watson passed for 268 yards and put the Browns in position for Andre Szmyt’s 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, which gave Cleveland a 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.
Watson, who completed 24 of 33 passes with one touchdown and one interception, finished 4 of 5 for 46 yards while leading a go-ahead fourth quarter for the third straight week.
The Browns – who are 3-1 for the first time since 2021 – had a 21-7 lead at the end of the first half before the Steelers rallied to tie it at 24-all. Aaron Rodgers threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth with 1:44 left and Rodgers slipped it in for the 2-point conversion.
Rodgers, who was 22 of 40 for 299 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, had one last chance to put the Steelers within field goal range, but he was spotted by Grant Delpit at the Browns 18 with 1 second left.
Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren had 93 yards on 17 carries and DK Metcalf had five catches for 115 yards.
Cleveland’s defense sacked Rodgers five times.
Cleveland has won eight straight games Thursday night, the longest active streak and fourth-longest in NFL history. Four faced off against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh (2-2) is 0-10 on the road against its AFC North rivals on Thursday.
After Cleveland scored three points on the opening possession, Pittsburgh drove 78 yards in 17 plays, capped by Wilson taking a shovel pass 12 yards around the left end on a jet sweep. It was the second straight game in which the Steelers reached the end zone on their opening drive.
The rest of the first half was all Browns. Watson had 181 passing yards at halftime, his most in the first 30 minutes since joining the Browns in 2022.
Jaleel McLaughlin tied it at 7 with 12:14 left in the first half on a 28-yard run around the right end. The fourth-year running back made two tackles at the 22 and ran through a narrow opening at the 15 before scoring.
The drive was set up after Denzel Ward scooped up Rodgers’ pass intended for Michael Pittman Jr. at the Browns 44 on the second play of the second quarter.
Cleveland took a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter on Quinshon Judkins’ 2-yard run to right guard. The touchdown came three plays after Watson found Denzel Boston for a 60-yard run to the Steelers 14 on the first play of the drive.
Harold Fannin Jr. then scored his third touchdown in two games on a 2-yard pass from Watson to third base with 1:22 remaining.
It was the first time since Week 13 of the 2020 season against Tennessee that the Browns scored at least 21 points in the second quarter.
The Steelers closed to within 21-10 on Boswell’s 31-yard field goal with 8 seconds left before halftime.
Rodgers rolled right and connected with Washington for a 21-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to bring Pittsburgh within 21-16. The 2-point conversion attempt failed.
Injuries
Steelers: DT Derrick Harmon (foot) was transported to the locker room during the second quarter and did not return. CB Jamel Dean (ankle) went out late in the second quarter and did not return.
Browns: DT Mason Graham (left knee) was injured in the first quarter and did not return. DT Mike Hall Jr. (right ankle) went out late in the second quarter but returned in the third.
To be continued
Steelers: Host Indianapolis on October 11.
Browns: At the New York Jets on October 11.
Gn sports
