The Steelers are heading into their bye week sitting all alone atop the AFC North, a massive 27-6 smackdown of the Cleveland Browns in NFL Week 8 cementing their position. It is the first season without legendary coach Mike Tomlin in nearly two decades, and new coach Mike McCarthy’s crew isn’t just winning: they’ve found a clear identity. This team can run the rock whenever it wants, and it can absolutely shut down an opponent’s run game, making them one-dimensional. That’s a scary combo.
Warren Leads the Ground Attack, O-Line Stepping Up
You gotta talk about Jaylen Warren first. This dude has been balling out all season, but his performance against the Browns was a true masterpiece. He absolutely gashed them for 143 yards and a touchdown on just 17 carries. That’s his biggest total by far this season, and get this: he’s already racked up his fourth 100-yard game in the first half of the 2026 campaign. Last year, he only had two across the entire 18-game schedule! He’s climbing the ranks as one of the NFL’s leaders in scrimmage yards, and it’s no fluke. His running mate, Rico Dowdle, even with a late-game loss hurting his numbers, still put up 56 yards on 15 carries, pushing the team’s total to a monstrous 200 yards on the ground. This consistent production, no matter who’s carrying the ball, is a huge sign that the front office’s heavy investment in the offensive line is paying off. Rookie Max Iheanachor, a controversial first-round pick back in April, joined the starting lineup in Week 3 alongside veteran Brock Hoffman at right guard. That’s been a total game-changer, even after a tough loss to these same Browns in Week 4. Iheanachor himself said it perfectly: “I thought we controlled the line of scrimmage. When we played up in Cleveland, we had a bunch of sacks. We didn’t run it super efficiently. But I feel like from the first go, we had a good mindset. We protected well. We opened up some holes. Jaylen and Rico ran well. Definitely love those boys up front. They dominated.”
Defense Is a Brick Wall, Watson Had No Chance
While the Steelers were running with ease, the Browns could not get anything going on the ground. Cleveland’s entire team managed just 34 yards on 15 carries, forcing them to pass almost exclusively in the second half once they were already behind. This defense has been an absolute brick wall, allowing a paltry 55 rushing yards per game during their current four-game winning streak. For Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, that meant rushers were in his face constantly. The Steelers’ linebackers and defensive linemen knew they didn’t have to worry about stopping the run, so they just unleashed havoc. They brought Watson down for eight sacks and hit him several more times, forcing throws he didn’t want to make. Watson put up 324 yards on 27 of 39 passing, which looks respectable on paper. But the Steelers were clearly content to give him those yards in manageable chunks, avoiding any back-breaking plays downfield, then just blunting drives with sacks that kept Cleveland way behind. It was a suffocating defensive effort.
This team, under coach McCarthy, has really found its stride, showcasing a dominant ground game and an equally dominant run defense. As they head into the bye week leading the AFC North, they’re showing everyone in the league exactly what kind of contender they plan to be for the rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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