Browns Beat Steelers 27-24 Behind Watson and Szmyt

Deshaun Watson Leads Browns Past Steelers With 27-24 Victory

Deshaun Watson directed a game-winning drive for the third week, setting up Andre Szmyt for a career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to give the Cleveland Browns a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field.

Fourth-Quarter Comebacks Define Cleveland’s Season

The Browns built a 21-7 lead late in the first half before the Steelers mounted a comeback to tie the game at 24-all in the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers engineered Pittsburgh’s rally with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth with 1:44 remaining followed by a successful 2-point conversion run by Rodgers himself. Watson responded by completing 4 of 5 passes for 46 yards on the final possession, moving the offense into position despite a late 4-yard sack. Watson finished the night 24 of 33 passing for 268 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Rodgers and the Steelers Offense Fall Short in Prime Time

Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of 40 passes for 299 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, but Pittsburgh’s late push ended when Grant Delpit intercepted a desperate Hail Mary attempt at the Browns 18-yard line with just one second left on the clock. The defeat drops the Steelers to 2-2 on the season and extends their road losing streak against AFC North rivals on Thursday nights to 0-10. Jaylen Warren paced the Pittsburgh ground game with 93 yards on 17 carries, while DK Metcalf hauled in five receptions for 115 yards.

Cleveland Defense and Special Teams Maintain Historic Streak

The Browns defense kept constant pressure on Rodgers throughout the contest, recording five sacks. Cleveland has now won eight consecutive Thursday night games, marking the longest active streak and the fourth-longest in NFL history. Meanwhile, rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston added to his standout campaign by leading the team with 89 receiving yards on four catches, including a 60-yard reception in the second quarter that set up a Browns touchdown.

Steelers Browns Football
Photo: The Journal Gazette

Frequently Asked Questions About the Matchup

How many passing yards did Deshaun Watson record in the first half?

Deshaun Watson tallied 181 passing yards in the first 30 minutes of the game, representing his highest first-half passing total since being traded by Houston to Cleveland in 2022.

Which teams are next on the schedule for Cleveland and Pittsburgh?

The Browns travel to play the New York Jets on Oct. 11.