Steelers dominate Browns in 1st in AFC North

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Revenge from an October 1 loss in Cleveland, on November 1 in Pittsburgh, it was all Steelers in a 27-6 win. Steelers rushed for over 200 yards, quadrupled their sacks from the first Browns game and got big plays from the tight ends.

Here are the big plays as the Steelers are now 6-2 on a four-game winning streak.

1^st half exclamation point

Cleveland cuts the lead to a touchdown with 49 seconds left in the first half as Mike McCarthy calls a timeout before the Andre Szmyt field goal to save time. Turns out just enough saved, Jaylen Warren goes for 23 yards on the first play. A Browns injury on a one-yard pass to Germie Bernard forced a Cleveland timeout, Aaron Rodgers takes advantage of the stoppage and found Pat Freiermuth streaking down the middle and making a great over-the-shoulder catch for 28 yards. Steelers used its last timeout and Rodgers threw an inside screen to Bernard and he’s tackled at the one-yard line. Rodgers spikes it with five seconds left. After failing to score a touchdown twice previously in the red zone, Freiermuth barrels forward on a tush push for a 20-6 halftime lead

Darnell is loose

After a punt on the first series, Rodgers found Darnell Washington alone on the left sidelines. The 6’7”, 300-pounder chugged down the sideline, tiptoeing to the Browns one-yard line before being pushed out. Steelers didn’t screw around on his first and goal, bringing in fullback Riley Nowakowski to led the way for a Warren touchdown run and early in the third quarter, Steelers were up three touchdowns.

1^st turnover

After giving the Browns extra downs due to a roughing the quarterback penalty, Robert Spears-Jennings knocked the ball loose from Browns tight end Harold Fannin. No one caught it and the Steelers challenged and it was judged a fumble recovered by fellow rookie Daylen Everette.

2^nd turnover

Very next series, in what was originally called intentional grounding, was reviewed and deemed Patrick Queen knocked the ball away from Deshaun Watson before he attempted to throw it, recovered by Keeanu Benton, both turnovers have the offense the ball in Cleveland territory.

Dowdle TD

Ball at the Cleveland 45 following the Patrick Queen forced fumble, Rico Dowdle runs for 15 yards, then 9 yards and finishes with a 9-yard touchdown run, his first as a Steeler and the first score of the game to make it 7-0.

Goal line stop

After the interception on the bobble by DK Metcalf, Cleveland went 10 plays to the Steelers two-yard line. Still with plenty of time, Payton Wilson blew up the first-down run play, tackling Quinshon Judkins for a three-yard loss. What followed were three straight incompletions after great Steelers coverage and holding the score at 27-6 early in the fourth quarter.

Sack Sack

A short punt gave the Browns the ball at the Steelers 42-yard line, Keeanu Benton tipped a pass on first down and then back-to-back sacks by Queen and TJ Watt to push the ball back to the Browns 46 and force a punt when it appeared Cleveland would have a chance to score.

Notes

• Before the end of the first quarter the Steelers had more rushing yards than in the first game at Cleveland.
• Steelers also had more sacks in the first three series against the Browns than they did in the entire first game.
• Browns were going for a first regular season sweep of the Steelers since 1988
• Going 4-0 in this stretch of games, Steelers now face Cincinnati (road), Philadelphia (road) and Denver and Houston at home over the next 4.

All of that happened and there is still room for growth.

What you calling?

First and goal at the Browns 2-yard line late in the first quarter

• Bad throw on a one-on-one to DK Metcalf

• Pressure and really throwing it away near Metcalf

• Warren no gain up the middle on third down

This was after on the drive Warren had a 51-yard gain and 76 yards rushing on that series. Steelers would settle for a 20-yard Chris Boswell field goal

First and goal at the Browns 8-yard line on the next series

• Rodgers barely avoided a sack on a spread look on 1st down

• Rodgers incomplete to Washington

• On 3rd and goal, Rodgers was sacked for -11 yards

Again the Steelers would only get three points after having a first and goal, Boswell 37-yard FG.

DK bobble pick

Steelers up three touchdowns, get an overturn on a potential Jaylen Warren fumble and DK Metcalf is wide open down the middle. Rodgers spots him, but it was one of those where he was so wide open, he bobbled it and it went right into the arms of Cleveland corner Denzel Ward as he was racing to get back in the play. Instead of a potential touchdown, the defense had to step up.