The Cleveland Browns survived a late Pittsburgh comeback and edged the Steelers 27-24 on October 2, 2026, at Huntington Bank Field, with a 56-yard field goal and a game-sealing interception deciding the finish.
Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIT | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| CLE | 0 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
Pittsburgh finally erased an 11-point hole, only for Cleveland to snatch the game right back. Aaron Rodgers tied it at 24 with a late touchdown to Pat Freiermuth and a quarterback sneak on the two-point try, but Deshaun Watson moved the Browns into range and Andre Szmyt drilled a 56-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. Grant Delpit then intercepted Rodgers on Pittsburgh’s final snap to seal a 27-24 win. Watson finished 24-of-33 for 268 yards and a touchdown, Denzel Boston supplied the biggest spark with 89 yards — including a 60-yard catch — and Quinshon Judkins and Jaleel McLaughlin both scored on the ground.
Rodgers still threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, DK Metcalf went for 115 yards, and Jaylen Warren added 93 rushing yards, but Cleveland’s defense kept landing punches. The Browns sacked Rodgers five times and picked him twice, with Denzel Ward joining Delpit in the takeaway column. The loss also extended one of the strangest Thursday trends in football: Cleveland has now won eight straight Thursday night games, while Pittsburgh fell to 0-10 in road divisional games played on Thursday and 0-5 on Thursday nights in Cleveland. In what Rodgers has said will be his final Thursday night appearance, he also missed a chance to tie Tom Brady’s record for Thursday wins. Cleveland didn’t just survive the rivalry — it kept the Thursday curse alive.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cleveland Browns |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 24 | 27 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 361 | 372 |
| Passing Yards | 269 | 260 |
| Rushing Yards | 92 | 112 |
| Total Plays | 64 | 62 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.6 | 6.0 |
| First Downs | 24 | 22 |
| Third Downs | 4-13 | 4-10 |
| Third-Down % | 30.8% | 40.0% |
| Fourth Downs | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Passing TDs | 3 | 1 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 2 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 3 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 2 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 2 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 5 | 2 |
| Penalties | 8 | 14 |
| Penalty Yards | 50 | 88 |
| Time of Possession | 31:11 | 28:49 |
Passing
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Aaron Rodgers — 22/40, 55.0%, 299 YDS, 3 TD, 2 INT, 7.5 YPA, 5 SACK, 83.2 RTG
Cleveland Browns
- Deshaun Watson — 24/33, 72.7%, 268 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 8.1 YPA, 2 SACK, 94.0 RTG
Rushing
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jaylen Warren — 17 CAR, 93 YDS, 5.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 24
- Travis Homer — 2 CAR, 1 YDS, -0.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 2
Cleveland Browns
- Quinshon Judkins — 17 CAR, 53 YDS, 3.1 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 9
- Jaleel McLaughlin — 1 CAR, 28 YDS, 28.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 28
Receiving
Pittsburgh Steelers
- DK Metcalf — 5 REC, 9 TGT, 115 YDS, 23.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 43
- Roman Wilson — 3 REC, 6 TGT, 74 YDS, 24.7 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 49
- Jaylen Warren — 3 REC, 6 TGT, 33 YDS, 11.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 13
- Darnell Washington — 3 REC, 5 TGT, 27 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 21
- Pat Freiermuth — 3 REC, 5 TGT, 17 YDS, 5.7 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 9
Cleveland Browns
- Denzel Boston — 4 REC, 7 TGT, 89 YDS, 22.3 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 60
- KC Concepcion — 5 REC, 8 TGT, 64 YDS, 12.8 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 25
- Quinshon Judkins — 6 REC, 7 TGT, 43 YDS, 7.2 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 12
- Jerry Jeudy — 3 REC, 3 TGT, 36 YDS, 12.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 17
- Harold Fannin Jr. — 3 REC, 5 TGT, 27 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 13
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 2:59 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Roman Wilson 12-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Chris Boswell kick) | PIT 7, CLE 0 |
| Q2 | 12:14 | Cleveland Browns | Jaleel McLaughlin 28-yard run (Andre Szmyt kick) | PIT 7, CLE 7 |
| Q2 | 8:28 | Cleveland Browns | Quinshon Judkins 2-yard run (Andre Szmyt kick) | PIT 7, CLE 14 |
| Q2 | 1:22 | Cleveland Browns | Harold Fannin Jr. 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Andre Szmyt kick) | PIT 7, CLE 21 |
| Q2 | 0:08 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Chris Boswell 31-yard field goal | PIT 10, CLE 21 |
| Q4 | 10:10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Darnell Washington 21-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (two-point pass failed) | PIT 16, CLE 21 |
| Q4 | 6:37 | Cleveland Browns | Andre Szmyt 44-yard field goal | PIT 16, CLE 24 |
| Q4 | 1:42 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Pat Freiermuth 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Aaron Rodgers Run for Two-Point Conversion) | PIT 24, CLE 24 |
| Q4 | 0:10 | Cleveland Browns | Andre Szmyt 56-yard field goal | PIT 24, CLE 27 |
Defense
Pittsburgh Steelers
- T.J. Watt — 4 TOT, 4 SOLO, 2 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH, 1 PD, 1 FR
- Robert Spears-Jennings — 7 TOT, 6 SOLO, 1 INT, 2 PD
- Payton Wilson — 9 TOT, 7 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Cameron Heyward — 7 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 QBH
- Jaquan Brisker — 7 TOT, 4 SOLO
- Jack Sawyer — 2 TOT, 1 QBH, 1 PD
- Daylen Everette — 3 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 PD
- Patrick Queen — 5 TOT, 3 SOLO
- Asante Samuel Jr. — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 PD
- Yahya Black — 5 TOT, 2 SOLO
Cleveland Browns
- Adin Huntington — 4 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 3 QBH
- Grant Delpit — 6 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 INT, 1 PD
- Denzel Ward — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 QBH, 1 INT, 1 PD
- Maliek Collins — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 2 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Sam Williams — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH, 1 PD
- Isaiah McGuire — 3 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Mike Hall Jr. — 1 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Tyson Campbell — 7 TOT, 6 SOLO, 1 PD
- Carson Schwesinger — 9 TOT, 3 SOLO
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — 4 TOT, 1 SOLO, 2 PD
Kick Returns
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kaden Wetjen — 4 KR, 96 YDS, 24.0 AVG, LONG 27, 0 TD
Cleveland Browns
- Raheim Sanders — 3 KR, 66 YDS, 22.0 AVG, LONG 26, 0 TD
Punt Returns
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kaden Wetjen — 2 PR, 30 YDS, 15.0 AVG, LONG 15, 0 TD
Cleveland Browns
- KC Concepcion — 2 PR, 10 YDS, 5.0 AVG, LONG 10, 0 TD
