The Pittsburgh Steelers absolutely crushed the Cleveland Browns, putting up a 27-6 smackdown on Sunday. That win rockets them into their bye week sitting pretty at 6-2 overall, holding sole possession of first place in the AFC North. And yeah, the streak lives: the Browns still haven’t beaten the Steelers in Pittsburgh since way back in 2003.
Pittsburgh’s Run Game is a Two-Headed Monster, Darnell Washington Emerges
Coming into this battle, everyone knew Cleveland struggled to stop the run. And boy, did the Steelers take that to heart! Running backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle absolutely set the tone, lighting up the field. Dowdle kicked off the scoring with a sweet nine-yard touchdown run, showing exactly why the Steelers envisioned him as a key piece when they signed him this offseason. That vision? It’s finally clicking, especially with Warren exploding for over 100 rushing yards just in the first half! He even punched in a touchdown himself in the third quarter. The Steelers piled up an insane 160 first-half rushing yards, the most by any team in a single half this entire season. What a statement!
But wait, there’s more good news. Tight end Darnell Washington is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous weapons in that passing attack. He only snagged three passes against the Browns, but he turned those into a massive 94 receiving yards, including a ridiculous 64 yards after the catch. This dude barely needs any targets to make a huge impact. Whether it’s in the red zone or on a deep wheel route, Washington is just a straight-up matchup nightmare that defenses have to track on every single snap.
Defense Brings the Hammer Down on Cleveland
You have to give defensive coordinator Patrick Graham a ton of credit. The Steelers defense has been playing lights out for the past month, and they put on a clinic against Cleveland. They absolutely swallowed Deshaun Watson, sacking him a stunning eight times. The Browns’ ground game? Non-existent, managing a measly 34 total rushing yards as a team, averaging a pathetic 2.3 yards per attempt.
That inside linebacker duo of Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson was everywhere. Queen snagged 1.5 sacks himself, while Wilson was laying down punishing run stops, including one for a loss. Rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings got the party started right away, forcing a fumble on the very first drive of the game. Honestly, this was a complete and total defensive dominance. They shut down everything.
Metcalf’s Woes and Red Zone Headaches
Now, let’s talk about the frustrating bits. WR DK Metcalf was just… hard to watch. On six targets, he hauled in only one catch for a paltry four yards. Yikes. Late in the third quarter, Aaron Rodgers threw him a downfield ball that hit Metcalf right in the hands, but he bobbled it, and Browns corner Denzel Ward just swiped it away. It’s maddening! As well as the Steelers moved the ball, it had absolutely nothing to do with their highest-paid offensive player. Metcalf looks like he’s heading for another underwhelming season in Pittsburgh.
And speaking of frustrating, the red zone offense continues to be a puzzle. In the first half, the Steelers got two drives inside the ten, first and goal. They ran six plays within the ten-yard line, but the source article cuts off without detailing the outcome of those specific plays, leaving us to wonder how many points they truly left on the field. This unit has to clean it up.
The Steelers are rolling into their bye week on a high, sitting atop the AFC North at 6-2. They’ve got a fantastic run game, an emerging star at tight end, and a defense that absolutely suffocates opponents. The biggest question marks are fixing those red zone struggles and figuring out what to do about the inconsistent play from big-name receivers like Metcalf. This bye week gives them time to regroup and come back even stronger, ready to solidify that first-place spot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
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