Browns vs Steelers on Thursday Night Football came down to one swing of Andre Szmyt’s right leg. With 10 seconds left and the game tied 24-24, the Browns kicker drilled a 56-yard field goal to give Cleveland a 27-24 win over Pittsburgh. Grant Delpit then picked off Aaron Rodgers’ final heave to finish it.
The win moves the Browns to 3-1, their third victory in a row, according to the team’s official recap. The Steelers drop to 2-2 and, as the Steelers’ own website pointed out, have now lost four straight Thursday games and five straight in Cleveland.
How Browns vs Steelers swung three times
Pittsburgh struck first. Rodgers found Roman Wilson for a 12-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, and Denzel Ward also intercepted him early on, the first of two picks Rodgers threw.
Then came Cleveland’s best stretch of the season so far. The Browns scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter: a 28-yard Jaleel McLaughlin run, a 2-yard Quinshon Judkins run and a 2-yard Deshaun Watson pass to Harold Fannin Jr. A Chris Boswell field goal just before the break made it 21-10 at half time.
Nobody scored in the third quarter. Pittsburgh woke up in the fourth. Rodgers hit Darnell Washington for a 21-yard touchdown, Szmyt answered with a 44-yard field goal, and Rodgers drove Pittsburgh the length of the field before finding Pat Freiermuth from 3 yards out. Rodgers sneaked in the two point conversion himself to tie it at 24-24 with under two minutes left.
Watson then led a seven play, 36-yard drive, which was just enough to set up the kick. Szmyt made it from 56, and Delpit’s interception on the last snap ended Pittsburgh’s hopes.
Key numbers from the box score
| Stat | Steelers | Browns |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 361 | 372 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Quarterback | Rodgers 22 of 40, 299 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT | Watson 24 of 33, 268 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Leading rusher | Jaylen Warren 17 for 93 | Quinshon Judkins 17 for 53, 1 TD |
| Leading receiver | DK Metcalf 5 for 115 | Denzel Boston 4 for 89 |
Two things stand out. The yardage was almost dead level and Metcalf put up 115 yards, yet three Rodgers touchdowns still weren’t enough. And the Browns’ defense, with sacks from Isaiah McGuire, Maliek Collins and Mike Hall Jr. per the team recap, kept making plays when the offense stalled after half time.
Why a 56-yard field goal is a big ask
For casual fans: a field goal’s distance is the line of scrimmage, plus the 10 yards of end zone, plus about 7 yards for the snap back to the holder. So a 56-yard try starts from around the opponent’s 39-yard line, with the ball held near the 46, not far from midfield. Kicks from that range are far from automatic, which is why every yard of the Browns’ short final drive mattered. Baltimore’s Tyler Loop won a game from the exact same distance last weekend, as we covered in our Ravens vs Cowboys report.
Steelers captain Cameron Heyward summed up the mood on Pittsburgh’s side, telling the team website: “in those weighty moments, we’ve got to have better execution.”
What’s next for the Browns and Steelers
Playing on Thursday gives both teams a long gap before Week 5. The Browns visit the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium at 1pm ET on Sunday, October 11. The Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium at 1pm ET the same day, live on CBS. That is 10pm in Pakistan and 6pm in the UK.
