The Cleveland Browns held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from Pittsburgh to beat the Steelers 27-24 on Thursday night, a win that put Cleveland alone atop the AFC North at 3-1.
Cleveland built its margin early at Huntington Bank Field, outscoring Pittsburgh 21-3 in the second quarter to turn an early 7-0 deficit into a comfortable cushion. Quarterback Deshaun Watson managed the game efficiently from there, and Cleveland's defense carried a 21-10 lead into the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh would not go away quietly. Aaron Rodgers finished 22-of-40 passing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, finding wide receiver DK Metcalf for 115 yards on five catches as the Steelers clawed back to within three points late in the game. Running back Jaylen Warren added 93 yards on 17 carries, but Pittsburgh ran out of time, and Cleveland's defense made the stop it needed to close out the win.
Friction on the Pittsburgh sideline
The night was not without tension on the Pittsburgh sideline. Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy were seen in a heated exchange as the Steelers' offense struggled to find rhythm in the first half. Cleveland had its own injury concern when defensive lineman Mason Graham went down during the game; his status going forward was not immediately announced.
The result drops Pittsburgh to 2-2 and gives Cleveland sole possession of first place in the AFC North. It is the Browns' third win in four games to open the season, built on a defense that held Pittsburgh to 10 points through three quarters before the Rodgers-led rally made the final score closer than the game had felt for most of the night.
Thursday night games rarely settle much on their own, but with the AFC North unusually tight through four weeks, Cleveland's win carries extra weight. The Browns have now won three of their last four largely on the strength of a defense that has kept opposing offenses out of rhythm for long stretches, even as Thursday's fourth quarter was a reminder of how quickly a Rodgers-led unit can make a laugher uncomfortable.
Both teams are back in action this weekend. Pittsburgh will look to shore up a defense that allowed 21 points in a single quarter, while Cleveland tries to prove its hot start is built to last against the rest of a suddenly competitive division.
