Fittingly, the Steelers' 23-9 win over the Browns was rooted in physical play befitting one of the NFL's oldest rivalries.
Simply put, Week 6 in Pittsburgh was good old-fashioned AFC North football. And while both teams dished out their share of hits, the team that brought most of the violence was wearing black and gold.
On both sides of the ball, Pittsburgh (4-2, 1-0) played with an edge that powered its 22nd consecutive regular-season home win over Cleveland. The victory also kept the Steelers atop the AFC North ahead of the Bengals, Ravens and Browns. Conversely, the loss dropped Cleveland to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in AFC North play.
Offensively, the Steelers were led by Aaron Rodgers' two touchdown passes and a ground game that churned out an even 100 yards against the NFL's top-ranked scoring defense. On defense, Pittsburgh's pass rush overwhelmed rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, sacking him six times.
The Steelers led 9-0 at halftime and 9-3 in the third quarter when a roughing-the-kicker penalty on Cleveland gave them a fresh set of downs. Rodgers capitalized on the miscue with his second touchdown pass of the day -- the score that ultimately sealed the win.
Here's a closer look at how Pittsburgh got it done.
Key moment
The Browns appeared to be gaining momentum after scoring on their opening drive of the third quarter and forcing the Steelers to punt on their first drive of the half. Things quickly changed, however, after Browns defensive end Cameron Thomas ran into Steelers punter Corliss Waitman on fourth-and-4, giving the Steelers the five yards and a fresh set of downs.
Pittsburgh quickly reeled off four plays that gained at least 10 yards before Rodgers made a brilliant throw to tight end Connor Heyward that stretched the Steelers' lead to 16-3.
Thomas' mistake was one of several self-inflicted wounds the Browns made on both sides of the ball. Along with several bad penalties, the Browns also fell victim to dropped passes that added to Gabriel's plight.
Physical Steelers
Sunday was vintage Steelers football, as Pittsburgh played with a physicality that has become synonymous with their brand of ball.
On offense, the Steelers have leaned into their physical identity under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Per usual, Pittsburgh's offense included a heavy involvement from their tight ends as both pass-catchers and run blockers. Along with Heyward's big touchdown, fellow tight ends Darnell Washington and Jonnu Smith caught a combined six passes for 80 yards, with Washington's 36-yard grab on the game's first play setting up Boswell's first field goal.
On the ground, the Steelers got more than enough from running backs Jaylen Warren (who returned after injuring his knee and missing Pittsburgh's Week 4 win over the Vikings) and Kenny Gainwell, who combined to rush for 74 yards on 13 carries. Through the air, the Steelers received another vintage game from Rodgers, who went 21 of 30 for 235 yards. Rodgers was pressured several times, but he was not sacked, a credit to Pittsburgh's continuously-improving offensive line.
Speaking of improving, the Rodgers to Metcalf connection continues to show signs of growth. While they connected on less than half of their targets (which was at least partly a byproduct of Rodgers taking some deep shots early to keep the Browns' defense honest), the duo still connected four times for 95 yards that included a 25-yard score that put the game on ice.
Defensively, the Steelers unleashed an unforgiving pass rush that left Gabriel staring up at the Pittsburgh sky numerous times. Former All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey had a team-high two sacks of Gabriel while evoking memories of Carnell Lake, a former Steelers All-Pro defensive back whom Bill Cowher routinely had come off the edge.
Linebacker Nick Herbig also had two sacks as the Steelers enjoyed their newfound depth at outside linebacker with Alex Highsmith back from injury.
Dillon Gabriel holds his own
Gabriel obviously had his work cut out for him on Sunday. The Browns were trying to snap a 21-year drought without a regular-season win in Pittsburgh, and Gabriel was also looking to become only the seventh rookie quarterback to defeat a Mike Tomlin-led Steelers team.
While Gabriel did not accomplish either goal, he more than held his own in his second career start.
Facing constant pressure and with no semblance of a running game to help him, Gabriel had to throw a whopping 52 times. He completed 29 of those passes and did not turn the ball over, a notable achievement in its own right. Gabriel's stat line is even more impressive when you consider he was the victim of several dropped passes.
Sunday was further evidence that the Browns' offense lacks the playmakers to be a successful unit, regardless of who is at quarterback.
Notable injury
Pittsburgh's win came at a cost. The Steelers lost Pro Bowl gunner Miles Killebrew in the first half after what Tomlin described as a "significant" injury. Killebrew was ruled out of the remainder of the game with a knee injury not too long after he was injured.
