The Browns Are Winning, but One Concerning Issue Must Get Fixed ASAP

Cleveland's three victories in a row have the team floating on clouds, but execution is still far from perfect.

Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (28) reacts with safety Ronnie Hickman (33) he first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers in tat Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Browns are the talk of the town after beating the Steelers in dramatic fashion last Thursday night for a 27-24 victory that leaves them all alone at the top of the AFC North rankings, at least until the Ravens and Bengals play on Sunday. 

Head coach Todd Monken’s group showed good intensity throughout the matchup, and the Browns being able to muster a game-winning drive with a little over a minute and a half to go speaks volumes on where this team is mentally at the moment. 

However, there is one concerning issue with Cleveland’s play that might get lost among all the hoopla over the club’s 3-1 record, and failing to address it can certainly lead to a sudden crash and burn.

Penalties threatened to wipe out the Browns’ victory last night.

For the game, Cleveland was penalized a whopping 14 times for 88 yards, versus  eight penalties for 50 yards against the Steelers. However, those numbers don’t even begin to tell the whole story. 

The two most obvious miscues came late in the game, aiding Pittsburgh in their game-tying drive inside the final two-minute warning. Down by 8 and after two straight incomplete passes from Aaron Rodgers to Darnell Washington -- both broken up by safety Ronnie Hickman -- on second-and-10 and third-and-10 from the Cleveland 11-yard line, rookie Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was lineup on Washington on fourth-and-10, committing a defensive pass interference that led to Pittsburgh scoring on the very next play, a first-and-goal from the 3 on a pass from Rodgers to Pat Freiermuth. 

Defensive end Jared Verse made everything worse on the ensuing 2-point try by committing an egregious defensive offsides that put the Steelers just a yard and a half away from the goal line, with Rodgers converting on a QB sneak to tie it up. 

Earlier, though, the Browns had also helped Pittsburgh find some points. On the Steelers last drive of the first half, an illegal hands to face penalty on Sam Williams negated a 6-yard sack by Adin Huntington on first-and-10 on the Cleveland 18. The play before that was an incomplete pass that got negated due to an illegal use of hands on cornerback Myles Harden against Roman Wilson on first-and-10 from the 23. That drive ended eventually with a short Pittsburgh field goal, cutting the distance to 21-10. 

And on the very first scoring drive of the game, on third-and-16 around midfield, the Browns handed the Steelers 15 yards and a fresh set of downs thanks to a roughing the passer penalty on Maliek Collins that, otherwise, would have ended in a punt since the Steelers only gained 9 yards on a pass play. That led to Roman Wilson’s 12-yard score in the first quarter. 

On the offensive side, an offensive holding on Harden during a punt return by KC Concepcion in the third backed the Browns all the way to their 4, and a false start by the rookie wideout on third-and-8 a few plays later doomed the drive.

The Browns were also spared on a couple of non-calls

Cleveland’s lack of discipline was also on display on two plays that weren’t flagged but should have, marking potentially a 10-point swing. 

In the second quarter, on the Steelers’ missed Chris Boswell field goal from 48-yards out, Verse could have easily been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after striking/pushing the opponent after the failed kick. That would have resulted in a 15-yard gain and an automatic first down which, in all likelihood, might have led to another field goal try from a shorter distance or a touchdown. 

On the Browns’ next drive, capped off with a Deshaun Watson to Harold Fannin 2-yard touchdown pass, right tackle Tytus Howard’s right leg starts to move just as T.J. Watt is starting to take off. Howard isn’t flagged but Watt is, meaning the touchdown stood. If Watt actually provoked Howard to move first, then the play should have been whistled dead and the ball moved closer to the goal line. If Howard moved first, then the Browns should have brought the ball back 5-yards for the false start. In any case, the officials didn’t seem to notice Howard’s movement, but they should have.

With one more game played than almost everyone else, Cleveland leads the NFL in enforced penalties, clearing the second-place Packers by 11 after Thursday night’s game. Nobody has more false start (10), defensive holding (9) or roughing the passer penalties (3) than the Browns so far, according to The Football Database. 

The Browns are eking out wins and that always supersedes everything. But the team is playing far from perfect, and leaving these penalties issues unattended will undoubtedly lead to losses.