The Cleveland Browns went to Pittsburgh on Sunday with a share of first place in the AFC North and left with a 27-6 loss, eight sacks allowed and a familiar feeling. The Steelers (6-2) took sole possession of first place with the win at Acrisure Stadium, while the Browns (5-3) lost in Pittsburgh for the 23rd straight time in the regular season, according to the Akron Beacon Journal and the Associated Press reporting carried by Sportsnet.
The tone was set on the game’s first three plays. After a short run to open the afternoon, quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked on second down and then hit late by safety Jaquan Brisker on third down, a helmet-to-helmet shot that drew a roughing-the-passer penalty and sent Watson to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion, the Beacon Journal reported. Shedeur Sanders came on for one series, completed both of his passes for two yards, and watched the possession end on a lost fumble by tight end Harold Fannin Jr. before Watson returned.
From there, Pittsburgh’s defense controlled the day. Watson was sacked eight times, tying a career high, including twice by T.J. Watt, whose 20.5 career sacks against Cleveland are the most by any player against the Browns, according to the Beacon Journal. Watson finished 27-of-39 passing for 324 yards and a 94.4 passer rating with no touchdown passes, and he lost a fumble, the Beacon Journal reported. Much of that yardage came after the outcome was decided, and Cleveland’s running game produced only 34 yards.
Pittsburgh, by contrast, ran the ball at will. Jaylen Warren rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on his 28th birthday, and Rico Dowdle added 56 yards and another score as the Steelers piled up 200 rushing yards, according to the Associated Press report carried by Sportsnet. Dowdle’s nine-yard touchdown run, set up by a strip-sack and fumble recovery by linebacker Patrick Queen, put Pittsburgh ahead 7-0 in the first quarter after guard Mason McCormick cleared the way, the Beacon Journal reported.
Cleveland’s only points came on two second-quarter field goals by Andre Szmyt, the second of which cut the deficit to 13-6 with 45 seconds left in the first half, according to the Beacon Journal. Pittsburgh answered immediately, driving to the goal line and scoring with five seconds left in the half rather than settling for a field goal, pushing the lead to 20-6 at the break. A 58-yard catch-and-run by 6-foot-7 tight end Darnell Washington early in the third quarter set up Warren’s one-yard touchdown dive and a 27-6 lead, Sportsnet reported.
The Browns had one last chance to make it interesting. Early in the fourth quarter, a 37-yard completion to Fannin — who finished with 10 catches for 154 yards — moved Cleveland to the Pittsburgh 2-yard line with 13:49 remaining, the Beacon Journal reported. A three-yard loss on first down and two incompletions followed, and rookie receiver Denzel Boston’s spectacular one-handed fourth-down catch in the end zone was ruled incomplete because he got only one foot down in bounds.
Head coach Todd Monken never considered pulling Watson despite the beating, telling reporters after the game, “I want to see him play. I want to see him continue to play and battle and he did,” according to Heavy.com’s report of Monken’s postgame comments. Watson, for his part, refused to pin the eight sacks on his offensive line, the Beacon Journal reported.
The loss continues a pattern that has defined the rivalry for a generation. Pittsburgh’s 23 consecutive regular-season home wins over Cleveland tie the NFL record for consecutive home victories over one opponent, set by Green Bay against Detroit from 1992 to 2014, according to the Associated Press. The Steelers have now won four straight games overall, and Sunday’s win avenged a loss to the Browns in Cleveland a month ago.
For Cleveland fans, the frustration is compounded by how close the division race remains. Both teams are 2-1 in the AFC North, and the Browns’ 5-3 record still leaves them a single game behind Pittsburgh with half the season to play. The pass protection, though, is the issue that follows the team home: a quarterback who is sacked eight times and knocked out of the game, even briefly, on the opening series is a problem no amount of late yardage can cover up.
What we know — and what we’re still waiting on
What we know: the Browns fell to 5-3 and out of a first-place tie, Watson was evaluated for a concussion in the first quarter and finished the game, and the offensive line surrendered a career-high-tying eight sacks. What we’re still waiting on: any update from the team on Watson’s health after the number of hits he absorbed, and whether Monken makes changes along the offensive line or in protection schemes before the next game.
What happens next: the Browns return home to face the New Orleans Saints next week, looking to protect both their quarterback and their place in the AFC North race. Elsewhere in Northeast Ohio sports this week, the Cavaliers host the Thunder at Rocket Arena on Monday night, and in college action, Bowling Green rallied past Toledo 28-23 in the Battle of I-75.