Who Let The Dawgs Out?
What looked like a classic Thursday night stinker turned into a fairly fun and competitive matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. Both coming off upset wins, Cleveland and Pittsburgh reignited their old-school AFC North rivalry in prime time, with the Browns winning 27-24 on Andre Szmyt’s 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining. Cleveland improved to 3-1, while Pittsburgh dropped to 2-2.
The main storyline entering the game was the quarterback play of Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson. Both have given their respective fan bases reasons for frustration, but Thursday offered enough impressive throws to make this more than a contest to see which offense could get out of its own way.
Watson completed 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Rodgers finished with 299 yards and three touchdown passes, though he completed just 22 of 40 attempts and threw two interceptions. The quarterbacks combined for 567 passing yards, but those numbers tell only a little bit of the story. This was a game of productive stretches interrupted by the common rough patches.
Pittsburgh initially looked prepared to make Cleveland spend the night watching from the sideline. Its opening possession lasted 17 plays and 9:48, ending with Rodgers flipping a 12-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson taking nearly two-thirds of the first quarter on one drive.
Cleveland scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, turning a 7-0 deficit into a 21-7 lead. Jaleel McLaughlin broke loose for a 28-yard touchdown run, Quinshon Judkins scored from 2 yards out, and Watson found Harold Fannin Jr. for another 2-yard score. The Browns led 21-10 at halftime.
The Browns also got production from their rookie receivers. Denzel Boston finished with four catches for 89 yards, while KC Concepcion added five receptions for 64 yards. Watson completed nearly 73% of his passes, giving Cleveland an efficient passing performance to complement its scoring on the ground.
Still, the Browns left the door open with costly turnovers.
Watson lost a fumble and threw an interception, helping Pittsburgh remain within reach. He also missed an open Fannin on a late third down that could have helped Cleveland drain more time. Instead, Rodgers got another opportunity with the Browns leading 24-16.
There were reasons to believe Cleveland’s offense was finding its footing, followed by reminders of why that confidence remains inconsistent. Playing well enough to build a lead and playing well enough to protect it are two different responsibilities.
Rodgers had his own uneven night, but his connection with DK Metcalf helped Pittsburgh keep pushing. Metcalf finished with five catches for 115 yards, and Rodgers delivered a 21-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Washington in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers then led an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, finding Pat Freiermuth for a 3-yard score with 1:42 remaining. A quarterback sneak on the ensuing 2-point conversion tied the game at 24.
Watson officially locked in and completed four passes for 45 yards on the final scoring possession, putting Szmyt in position to deliver the winning kick.
Neither quarterback delivered a performance that should erase every concern surrounding his offense. Rodgers’ late comeback could not undo Pittsburgh’s earlier struggles, and Watson’s winning possession did not make his mistakes any better.
