5 Losers, 3 Winners From Steelers Loss to Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers fought their way back into the game after going down 14 points at the end of the first half, but it was too little, too late to take down the Cleveland Browns.

Huntington Bank Field remained a house of horrors for the Steelers, as they lost by a score of 27-24 after Browns kicker Andre Szmyt knocked through a last-second 56-yard field goal. Pittsburgh has now lost five-straight and seven of its last eight on the road against Cleveland.

With that, here are our winners and losers from a defeat that moves the Steelers to 2-2 on the season.

Winner: Roman Wilson

Wilson had a productive day vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, posting 60 yards and a touchdown, though he let a throw from Aaron Rodgers bounce off his hands over the middle of the field for an interception at the end of the first half that easily could've cost Pittsburgh the game.

Looking to put that moment behind him, Wilson took another step towards becoming one of the Steelers' premier weapons on offense by first scoring on a 12-yard jet sweep to cap off the team's first drive of the night before a 49-yard reception set them up in the red zone and ultimately led to a field goal entering halftime.

He concluded the contest with 74 yards on three catches.

Loser: Patrick Queen

Queen lit up the stat sheet against the Bengals, tying the most tackles he's had in a Pittsburgh uniform up to this point with 13.

He certainly had some lowlights vs. Cleveland, though, the most notable of which was being wiped out of the play and seemingly not giving 100 percent effort on Jaleel McLaughlin's 28-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.

Watch Patrick Queen. https://t.co/RsJPNNkR8v
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) October 2, 2026

Winner: T.J. Watt

Watt was not nearly as effective in Week 3 as he was over the first two games of the season, failing to log a single pressure against the Bengals (per Pro Football Focus).

The 31-year-old bounced back with a sack in the fourth quarter, though, and he made a few other splash plays with his forced fumble and recovery on a read option by Deshaun Watson as well as his break-up of a screen pass to Quinshon Judkins on 3rd-and-13 from the Browns' own 12-yard line early in the third quarter.

Loser: Payton Wilson

Truth be told, Wilson wasn't any better than Queen in this one.

From whiffing on what should've been an easy tackle on Raheim Sanders in the third quarter to completely misplaying a screen pass to KC Concepcion late in the second quarter, Wilson left too many plays on the field (even if he had a sack on the Browns' last drive of the game) and desperately needs to improve if he wants to be a part of the Steelers' future.

Loser: Max Iheanachor

Growing pains were always going to present themselves for Iheanachor, whom the Steelers knew was a raw prospect upon taking him in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Arizona State product's first start of his career at right tackle went about as well as it could've vs. Cincinnati, though SumerSports credited him with allowing a total of five pressures and two sacks against the Browns, making him the most unreliable piece up front throughout the contest for Pittsburgh.

Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4)makes a catch past Cleveland Browns cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) in the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Winner: DK Metcalf

Metcalf's struggles over the opening weeks of the campaign, particularly with drops, were well-documented.

He wasn't perfect against the Bengals, though he did haul in his first touchdown of the year, and he built some serious momentum vs. Cleveland.

Metcalf came out and proved why he's the Steelers' No. 1 wide receiver, really coming alive in the fourth quarter and finishing the game with a team-high 115 yards on five catches.

Rodgers also missed an opportunity to hit him wide-open for a 50-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which would've boosted his numbers and overall impact even further.

Loser: Jaquan Brisker

Brisker hasn't been super sharp for the Steelers all year essentially, and that remained the case against the Browns.

Though a defensive holding penalty on Asante Samuel Jr. made it irrelevant, Brisker's inability to tackle Watson on a scramble in the open field on a 3rd-and-4 in the fourth quarter speaks volumes about where his level of play currently stands.

Furthermore, he allowed three receptions in coverage on three targets for 31 yards (per SumerSports).

Loser: Daylen Everette

Following the trade of Joey Porter Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys, Everette has been thrust into a role that might end up being a bit too large for him as a rookie.

According to SumerSports, the third-round pick allowed 84 yards to fellow rookie Denzel Boston and generally looked both overmatched and overwhelmed in coverage.

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