Deshaun Watson passed for 268 yards and moved the Browns into position for Andre Szmyt’s career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining, giving Cleveland a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Watson, who completed 24 of 33 passes with a touchdown and an interception, went 4 of 5 for 46 yards as he led a go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter for the third straight week. The Browns – who are 3-1 for the first time since 2021 – had a 21-7 lead late in 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 remaining, then sneaked it in for the two-point conversion. Rodgers, who was 22 of 40 for 299 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, had one final chance to get the Steelers into field-goal range, but he was picked off by Grant Delpit at the Browns’ 18 with one second left. Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren rushed for 93 yards on 17 carries and DK Metcalf had five catches for 115 yards.
Cleveland’s defense sacked Rodgers five times. Cleveland have won eight straight Thursday night games, the longest active streak and fourth-longest in NFL history. Four have come against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh (2-2) are 0-10 on the road against AFC North rivals on Thursdays. After Cleveland went three-and-out on the opening possession, Pittsburgh went 78 yards in 17 plays, capped by Wilson taking a shovel pass 12 yards around left end on a jet sweep. It was the second straight game in which the Steelers have reached the end zone on their first drive.
The rest of the first half was all Browns. Watson had 181 yards passing by halftime, his most in the first 30 minutes since joining the Browns in 2022. Jaleel McLaughlin tied it at 7 with 12:14 remaining in the first half on a 28-yard run around right end.
The fourth-year running back broke a pair of tackles at the 22 and went through a narrow opening at the 15 before scoring. The drive was set up after Denzel Ward picked off 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’ two-yard run off right guard.
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