Steelers Embarrassed By Browns With AFC North Title On Line

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cleveland Browns 13-6 in Cleveland. They will need to defeat the Baltimore Ravens during Week 18 to make the playoffs and win the AFC North.

The Steelers lost the coin toss, and the Browns elected to receive.

With the Steelers beginning on defense, Jalen Ramsey was moved to the slot due to injuries in the secondary. Shedeur Sanders helmed the Browns at the quarterback position and was able to move the ball down the field with ease to begin. Finding tight end Brendan Bates and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, Sanders was able to get the Browns all the way to the Steelers 32 before the drive stalled.

Browns kicker Andre Szmyt made the 50-yard field goal, and the Browns started with a 3-0 lead. The first play on offense for the Steelers was perilous, as running back Jaylen Warren fumbled the football then recovered his own loss for a gain of 4 yards. The Steelers gained 7 yards on three runs, and Corliss Waitman came out to punt the ball.

The Browns took advantage of the Steelers tough start once they took over on offense. Sanders found wide receiver Cedric Tillman for 42 yards on the first offensive play of the drive. One first down later, and Sanders found tight end Harold Fannin Jr. for a 28 yard touchdown pass to give the Browns a 10-0 lead early on.

Steelers Offense Begins To Awaken

Rodgers' first completed pass came to Jonnu Smith for a gain of four, before a dropped pass by Marquez Valdes-Scantling and an offensive pass interference call on him on third down. The third-and-long attempt was short of the line to gain, but a Browns penalty gave the Steelers a new set of downs. A 29-yard option run by tight end Connor Heyward brought the Steelers just outside the redzone.

The Steelers stalled in the redzone due to short runs and a pass for a loss to running back Kenneth Gainwell. The Steelers trailed 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. A 44-yard attempt by Boswell was good, and the Steelers trailed 10-3.

Two long catches by Jeudy put the Browns on the other side of the field, but a sack by linebacker Alex Highsmith set up a third and long that was subsequently made longer by a Browns false start.on 3rd and 17, Sanders rushed for 11 yards and the Browns decided to go for it. An incomplete pass by Sanders to tight end Sal Canella was no good, and the Steelers took over.

Warren began the next drive with a 15-yard rush. Two straight incomplete passes on second and third down of the following drive led to the Steelers drive stalling, and Waitman came out to punt.

With Sanders taking over on the other side of the football, the Steelers were unable to stop the Browns moving down the field for the first couple plays. Then, Alex Highsmith got his hand on a pass by Sanders, tipping it and making it easy for Jack Sawyer to intercept the football and return the football for a big gain. After a Rodgers run that made it fourth and 1, Rodgers aired the ball over Scotty Miller's head on a go-route for a turnover on downs just before the two-minute warning.

Rookie LB Jack Sawyer picks off Sanders!

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The Steelers forced the ball back to them quickly, and Rodgers and the offense moved down the field with ease. With time expiring, they set up Boswell for a field goal, which he made to make it a 10-6 Browns lead going into halftime.

Steelers Offense Unable To Create In The Third

The Steelers drive to begin the second half did not go to plan, as they were unable to move the ball down the field with any sort of ease. They were forced to punt after a drive that included a recovered fumble and a sack.

The Browns kept their drive alive for quite a while despite not doing much of note, and Alex Highsmith continued his dominant day with a sack of Sanders after he scrambled out of the pocket. A punt gave the Steelers the ball back, and Rodgers began to move the ball down the field with passes to Valdes-Scantling and Smith. A Scotty Miller diving catch kept the drive alive, and the Steelers continued to move down the field. As the third quarter wrapped up, the Steelers found themselves at the Browns 27 with a new set of downs, trailing 10-6.

An Up-And-Down Fourth Quarter of Chaos

After three plays including an Alex Wright sack that the stadium believed Myles Garrett had gotten, Boswell came out to attempt a 54-yard field goal. His attempt was wide right, and the Browns took over. On second down and short, Sanders threw a soft deep pass that was easily intercepted by Kyle Dugger to give the Steelers new life.

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is sacked by Cleveland Browns defensive end Alex Wright (91) in the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Steelers could not do much with the ball, punting it back to the Browns within their own 20. The Browns got a 25-yard run by Dylan Sampson to open the drive, but a holding call brought it back. The Steelers then forced a three-and-out, and the punt put the Steelers back at the 20, but a Scotty Miller return brought it to the Steelers 43.

Two small gains set up a third and short, and running back Kenneth Gainwell was tackled for a loss. The Steelers punted.

The Steelers were able to force a three-and-out, and they got the ball back after a 61-yard punt with one last shot at the win. Two incomplete passes brought third and ten, and the Steelers had two more incomplete passes on third and fourth down to give the Browns the ball back.

The Browns were unable to move the ball, but a favorable field position allowed them to kick a field goal and make it 13-6 with 1:40 remaining.

Rodgers found Miller for a 15 yard gain, moving the ball to the 50-yard line. A pass to Freiermuth got the ball to the Cleveland 20 with 50 seconds left. He found Freiermuth for another ten yards to put it at first and goal. A pass to Valdes-Scantling made it second and medium. An incomplete pass on third down brought a pivotal fourth down, where Rodgers targeted Valdes-Scantling for a touchdown and it could not be brought down.

The Steelers fell to the Browns, 13-6. The Steelers will need to beat the Ravens next week to make the playoffs, and they would win the AFC North with a win then.

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