Deshaun Watson passed for 268 yards and expertly navigated the Cleveland offense into position for Andre Szmyt’s career-long 56-yard field goal with just 10 seconds remaining, lifting the Cleveland Browns to a dramatic 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field.
Watson, who completed 24 of 33 passes with one touchdown and one interception, delivered under pressure yet again. Going 4 of 5 for 46 yards, he successfully orchestrated a go-ahead fourth-quarter drive for the third consecutive week, cementing his rhythm in critical moments of the game.
The victory improves the Browns to a 3-1 record, marking their best start to a season since 2021. For much of the evening, it looked as though Cleveland would cruise to victory after building a commanding 21-7 lead late in the first half. However, the Steelers mounted a resilient comeback, eventually tying the game at 24-all late in the fourth quarter when veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with tight end Pat Freiermuth for a three-yard touchdown pass with 1:44 remaining, followed by a successful two-point conversion run by Rodgers himself.
Despite the late-game surge by Pittsburgh, Watson and the Browns answered the bell. Following the Steelers’ tying score, Watson engineered the decisive march down the field, milking the clock and setting the stage for Szmyt to drill the clutch, 56-yard game-winner through the Cleveland night air.
Rodgers, playing in his first season with Pittsburgh, had one final opportunity to salvage a win and get the Steelers into field-goal range in the game’s waning seconds. However, his deep throw was intercepted by safety Grant Delpit at the Browns’ 18-yard line with just one second remaining on the clock, extinguishing any hopes of a miraculous comeback.
Rodgers finished the night completing 22 of 40 passes for 299 yards, throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions while facing relentless pressure from a fierce Cleveland pass rush that sacked him five times over the course of the four quarters.
The Steelers’ offense leaned heavily on running back Jaylen Warren, who churned out 93 yards on 17 carries, and star wide receiver DK Metcalf, who hauled in five catches for 115 yards. Yet, Pittsburgh’s inability to protect Rodgers consistently and slow down Cleveland’s explosive second-quarter outburst ultimately proved costly.
The defeat drops the Steelers to 2-2 on the year and extends a glaring historical trend: Pittsburgh remains winless at 0-10 on the road against AFC North rivals in Thursday night games. Meanwhile, the Browns continued a streak of their own, securing their eighth consecutive Thursday night victory, which stands as the longest active streak and the fourth-longest in NFL history. Four of those wins during this remarkable Thursday run have come at the expense of their arch-rivals from Pittsburgh.
The contest began with a prolonged, methodical opening drive by the visitors. After Cleveland went three-and-out on their very first possession, the Steelers embarked on a massive 78-yard, 17-play march. The drive was capped when Wilson took a shovel pass 12 yards around the left end on a jet sweep, marking the second consecutive week that the Steelers managed to find the end zone on their opening possession.
From there, however, the momentum shifted dramatically in favor of the home side. The remainder of the first half belonged entirely to the Browns, with Watson accumulating 181 passing yards before halftime—his highest first-half total in a single game since joining the franchise in 2022.
Cleveland drew even at 7-7 with 12:14 remaining in the first half when running back Jaleel McLaughlin burst through for a 28-yard touchdown run around the right end. The fourth-year back demonstrated impressive vision and balance, breaking a pair of tackles at the 22-yard line and squeezing through a narrow opening at the 15 before turning upfield for the score.
The scoring opportunity was created by the Browns’ defense just moments earlier. On the second play of the second quarter, cornerback Denzel Ward jumped a route and intercepted a pass from Rodgers intended for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. at the Cleveland 44-yard line.
Capitalizing on the turnover momentum, the Browns took a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter courtesy of Quinshon Judkins’ two-yard plunge off the right guard. That touchdown was set up three plays after Watson uncorked a deep completion downfield, finding Denzel Boston for a 60-yard gain that carried the ball all the way to the Steelers’ 14-yard line.
Cleveland was far from finished before the break. With 1:22 remaining in the second quarter, Watson connected with tight end Harold Fannin Jr. on a two-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal. It marked Fannin’s third touchdown catch in just two games.
The offensive flurry allowed the Browns to score at least 21 points in the second quarter alone, a feat the team had not accomplished since Week 13 of the 2020 season against the Tennessee Titans.
The Steelers managed to stem the bleeding momentarily just before halftime when Chris Boswell converted a 31-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining, cutting Cleveland’s lead to 21-10 heading into the locker rooms.
The second half settled into a much tighter defensive struggle, but Pittsburgh steadily chipped away at the deficit. Early in the fourth quarter, Rodgers rolled out to his right and zipped a 21-yard touchdown pass to Washington, narrowing the gap to 21-16. Although Pittsburgh’s subsequent two-point conversion attempt failed, the touchdown set the stage for a dramatic, high-stakes finish that eventually culminated in Rodgers’ late score, the subsequent two-point conversion tie, and Watson’s final game-winning drive.
