THE APEX TIMES
Pittsburgh limited Cleveland’s scoring to field goals and took control with a big first-half rushing push, turning turnovers into points on the way to a 27-6 victory.
The Steelers answered the week’s AFC North challenge with a 27-6 win over the Browns at Acrisure Stadium, keeping Cleveland out of the end zone for the first time this season, according to Cleveland’s official game recap.
Pittsburgh’s early tone was set on the ground and built off Cleveland’s miscues. Cleveland fumbled on its first two drives, and the Steelers converted that start into a rushing-heavy sequence that included Rico Dowdle’s 9-yard touchdown run and a 51-yard Jaylen Warren gain that helped set up another Steelers scoring opportunity.
Cleveland’s offense struggled to string together scoring drives. In the recap, the Browns are described as scoring on two of 12 possessions, with their points coming on field goals and their inability to find the end zone carrying into the second half.
The Steelers increased their edge through the pass game as well as the run. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected on multiple big plays, including targets that set up scoring drives, and the tight end duo of Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington combined for key gains as Pittsburgh put together the larger lead.
Individually, Deshaun Watson finished 27-of-39 for 324 yards for Cleveland, but the Browns’ total points did not match the yardage. Harold Fannin Jr. led the receiving production with 10 catches for 154 yards, while Denzel Ward recorded his third interception of the season, the game’s lone turnover for Cleveland.
After a first-half in which Pittsburgh totaled 160 rushing yards, the Steelers closed the scoring with touchdowns including Warren’s 1-yard run in the third quarter, finishing the game 27-6 and moving Cleveland to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the AFC North, per the Browns recap.