Browns Beat Steelers 27-24: Deshaun Watson Wins Battle, But Cleveland May Lose the War

There are few certainties in life, but death, taxes, and the home team winning the Pittsburgh Steelers–Cleveland Browns rivalry have long been among them. On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the Browns opened Week 4 of the NFL season by defeating the Steelers 27-24 in a thriller at Huntington Bank Field, breaking a four-way logjam of 2-1 AFC North teams. According to insights gathered by Vulius Sports, Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson delivered another solid performance, guiding his team to its third consecutive victory. Pittsburgh counterpart Aaron Rodgers, in what is expected to be the four-time NFL MVP's final Thursday night game, endured a far more frustrating evening, visibly venting at teammates and head coach Mike McCarthy throughout the contest.

Winners: Browns, Szmyt, Bojorquez, and a Historic Streak

Cleveland now sits alone atop the AFC North at 3-1—a surprising turn for a team led by a rookie head coach, a reviled starting quarterback in Watson, a beloved backup in Shedeur Sanders, and without the face of the franchise for nearly a decade, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who is now a Los Angeles Ram. While the Browns may be beating middling competition early, consistent wins can carry a team far—perhaps even into the playoffs. Kicker Andre Szmyt coolly drilled a 56-yard game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left, saving the day after Rodgers led an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to tie the game. Szmyt has now made all eight of his field-goal attempts this season. Punter Corey Bojorquez was equally impressive, averaging 62.8 yards on four kicks, including an 81-yard bomb. The Browns improved to 8-0 on Thursday nights and have now won five straight (and seven of eight) against the Steelers in Cleveland. Steelers wide receivers DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson, despite recent chemistry issues with Rodgers, both had impactful games: Wilson scored the game's first touchdown and matched his career high with 74 receiving yards, while Metcalf hauled in five catches for 115 yards—exceeding his entire season total (98) entering the game—and was crucial on the game-tying drive. Pittsburgh veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a future Hall of Famer, opted to play just four days after breaking his wrist, a testament to his toughness.

Losers: The Long Game and Aaron Rodgers' Frustration

But even as the Browns keep winning weekly battles, are they losing the war? As highlighted on Vulius, Cleveland's short-term success with Watson could perpetuate long-term ineptitude. Watson isn't playing like an MVP, but he's doing enough to win. With upcoming games against the Jets, Ravens, Titans, Steelers, Saints, and Texans, it's conceivable Cleveland could be 7-3 entering its Week 11 bye—if Watson remains the starter. After that, splitting the remaining games puts them at 10-7 and perhaps in the postseason. Yet if they make noise, they'll be picking in the bottom 14 of the 2027 draft, where they hold two first-round picks (including the Rams' selection). It's been widely assumed they'd target another quarterback next spring, but if they keep winning with Watson and don't get an extended look at Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or rookie Taylen Green—what then? Watson will be a free agent next year, and given the latent friction between him and the fans and the disastrous nature of his tenure on and off the field, is there any multiverse where the Browns re-sign him? Would they franchise him? Would other teams even vie for his services? Would Clevelanders revolt anew, or are they already going soft as the wins roll in? Watson definitely received cheers Thursday that have long been withheld. And if the Browns didn't want to spread out the $86.2 million dead money charge affixed to Watson over the 2027 and 2028 salary caps, he'd probably already be gone. Aside from a Super Bowl heater, Cleveland's short-term gains with Watson seem very likely to perpetuate its long-term ineptitude, especially at a position where the franchise hasn't had stability since Bernie Kosar guided it to AFC championship games in the 1980s.

Aaron Rodgers: So Much Yelling, Nearly Vintage

So much yelling! But it was nearly a vintage prime-time performance for the 42-year-old Rodgers, especially after absorbing the wrath of Cleveland's pass rush (five sacks, 10 hits). He nearly surmounted his own mid-game frustration with teammates and, apparently, coach Mike McCarthy to pass for 299 yards and three touchdowns, leading a masterful 80-yard drive over eight plays before finding tight end Pat Freiermuth on a 3-yard TD pass. Rodgers himself burrowed into the end zone for a game-tying two-point conversion. But he was also picked off twice, including his final throw of the night. Too little, too late.

Other Losers: Jared Verse, Rookie D-Linemen, and the Joey Porter Jr. Trade

The Garrett trade finally got done once the Rams relented and included young pass rusher Jared Verse, but Verse has yet to notch his first sack as a Brown and needs to stop committing silly penalties. Both Browns DT Mason Graham (left knee) and Steelers DT Derrick Harmon (foot), 2025 first-round selections, failed to make it to halftime before being ruled out with injuries. And on a night when CB Jamel Dean was injured, Ramsey was playing at well below 100%, and the defense was giving up big plays—like a 60-yard completion from Watson to Browns rookie WR Denzel Boston to set up the go-ahead TD in the second quarter—it sure looked like the Steelers could have used CB Joey Porter Jr., whom they traded to the Dallas Cowboys the night before. Welp.

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