The Good, the Bad, the Ugly From Browns Win Over Steelers on TNF

Here are a few good, bad, and ugly things from the Cleveland Browns win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) reacts against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Browns moved to 3-1 after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 in a memorable Thursday Night Football showdown.

Here are a few moments from the game that stood out in both good and bad ways:

The Good

Deshaun Watson

Watson resembled his former Houston self in several moments, especially in the first half and again at the end of the fourth quarter. He led the Browns on a game-winning drive that ended with a field goal by Andre Szmyt.

The 31-year-old quarterback completed 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards, with one touchdown, one interception and one lost fumble. Watson needs to address his turnover issues, since both turnovers occurred in the second half and kept the Steelers in the game.

The pass rush

One of the main reasons why the Browns came out with a win was getting Aaron Rodgers on the ground. The Browns recorded five sacks, with five players each getting one. Maliek Collins, Mike Hall, Sam Williams, Isaiah McGuire and Adin Huntington.

The Browns' defensive line quickly pressured Rodgers, and even when they didn't sack him, they still applied enough pressure to force incomplete passes.

The Bad

Mason Graham's injury

It's hard to find negatives when the Browns beat the Steelers, but the biggest concern is the injury that defensive tackle Mason Graham sustained in the first half. Graham has been the best defensive player heading into the Week 4 matchup against the Steelers, with four sacks this season. Unfortunately, he will miss time due to the injury.

The good news is that Graham did not suffer a season-ending injury. The Browns reported on Friday that he has an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain, and he will be week-to-week as he recovers.

It's brutal to see Graham miss time, as he looked like one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL so early in his second NFL season.

The Ugly

Too many penalties

The Browns are finding a way to win games, even though they can't always avoid penalties. Cleveland had 14 accepted penalties against them on Thursday, and that doesn't even count a few penalties the Steelers declined. One play in the first quarter saw three penalties on the Browns' defense.

Cleveland needs to address its penalty issues, as it may start to catch up to the Browns. Penalties almost cost the Browns in the last two weeks, and while they didn't lose, it will become a problem soon if they aren't careful.