Postgame reactions, commentary and analysis following the Steelers' 27-6 win against the Browns:
Hold the line
The Steelers made the line of scrimmage theirs on offense from beginning to end, establishing the run chapter and verse.
They did it on first down, third down, in the red zone, backed up in their own territory, short-yardage situations, even long-yardage situations and everything in between. Their 117 rushing yards in the first quarter were the most in an opening frame since at least the 2000 season. And their 160 first-half rushing yards were the most in the first half by any NFL team this year.
"I think when you look at this game, it's a battle of wills," is how right guard Brock Hoffman put it. "It's a divisional game. They've had a lot of last-second wins. They have a good record. … We knew coming out, we needed to run the ball."
The Steelers hadn't put up 160 rushing yards in the first half of a game since 2002 against the Jaguars. Their first scoring drive, Rico Dowdle popped runs of 9, 15 and 9 yards, the last of which hit the end zone.
Jaylen Warren hit a 15-yard run on the very next play from scrimmage on the following possession. Facing 3rd-and-13 at their own 24, the Steelers ran it anyway, but it was anything but a give-up play. Warren blasted through a massive hole and took it 51 yards to the opposite 25, the second-longest run of his career behind a 74-yarder in 2023.
"As an O-line, of course we take pride in the run game," said left guard Mason McCormick, who helped pave the lane for Warren on that play. "Every O-line in the country does. It's awesome to get those backs going. They're very fun to block for."
Left side? Strong side
The pass protection wasn't bad, either, to say the least. After yielding five sacks in the first meeting in Cleveland, the Steelers allowed just one Sunday when Adin Huntington got to Aaron Rodgers and then mimicked the four-time MVP's leaping fist-pump celebration.
But Rodgers got the last laugh in the end, thanks in large part to the work of left tackle Troy Fautanu. While there were times Fautanu had schematic assistance in the form of a tight end, he was left on an island often as the line kept Rodgers clean aside from that sack and one quarterback hit.
Fautanu gave a lot of praise to his running mate on the left side, McCormick. Those two moved in tandem from the right side, and the chemistry is as strong as ever.
"That's my dog," Fautanu said. "That's my dog. He's always got my back, no matter what. Especially in those moments when I need him. Just the communication, man, he's like the most elite communicator ever. Trying to make sure I get the calls, because Zach [Frazier] has a lot on his plate. He's just communicating how we're going to attack blocks, how we're going to do certain things, what the snap count is if someone forgets. I give that guy all the credit in the world. He deserves all of it. Like I always said, I wouldn't want to play next to anybody else."
Big man in motion
It couldn't have been fun for fourth-year guard Spencer Anderson to lose his starting role to Hoffman after Week 2. But rather than pout about it, Anderson has continued to make an impact for this team the past two games, as a tackle-eligible sixth lineman up front.
Anderson wasn't in the mix for the first matchup with the Browns. He was reintegrated into the offense in Paris, and was right back at it Sunday in the second round with Cleveland, checking in with the officials as a jumbo tight end on 10 plays. And a new wrinkle for Anderson this time was putting him in motion, a 6-foot-5, 305-pounder who's light on his feet shifting pre-snap.
"Spencer's a special player," Fautanu said. "It's good to get the best guys out there, and obviously he did a good job. There were some blocks out there that were just crazy. Wait until you see the film."
The Steelers had Anderson on the field for Dowdle's touchdown, Warren's 15-yard rush and Warren's 1-yard touchdown. Consider the heft that Darnell Washington brings on any given play, too, at tight end and that's a particularly weighty heavy personnel package.
Defending the streak
You'd have to go back to 2003 for the last time the Browns beat the Steelers at home in front of a crowd like the 66,986 who hit the North Shore on Sunday. That was their last regular season win in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have also split or swept the Browns every season since 1988, minus the years Cleveland did not have an NFL franchise. No one from the current edition of the Steelers wanted to be a member of the team to spoil that stat — not even the newcomers.
"I'm a part of it. I'm a Pittsburgh Steeler," said safety Jaquan Brisker, who grew up right down the road in Wilkinsburg, Pa., long before joining the team in free agency this offseason from Chicago. "If we would've lost, all the legends would've been mad at us. So it definitely is important. But we focus on today, where our feet are, and we took advantage of the day."
Eight is great
Brisker played for the Bears his first four seasons, but he missed the Monsters of the Midway by about four decades, so he'd never played in the secondary behind a front seven like the one he saw Sunday.
The Steelers racked up eight sacks from seven different players, all of whom are linemen or linebackers. That's kind of how it goes, though, when you keep an offense without a run longer than 7 yards all game. One-dimensional is an understatement.
"My teammates were balling," said inside linebacker Patrick Queen, who stuffed the stat sheet as much as anyone with 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 quarterback hits and a forced fumble. "They started off fast, hooping, and I just fed into their energy. Every single guy came out and played ball, and that allowed me to do what I was able to do."
Sure, he'll take one, too
Another week, another win, another milestone for undrafted rookie Kevin Jobity Jr. After making his regular season NFL debut in France, Jobity played more against the Browns and tallied his first career sack, midway through the fourth quarter.
At the start of the season, Jobity was buried on the depth chart. Less than a month ago, he was still in street clothes every game, watching and learning from the veterans. Now he's out there making plays alongside Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, T.J. Watt and others. Life comes at you fast in this league.
"It's awesome just to be able to contribute," Jobity said. "Every day of the week, throughout practice and meetings, seeing how much these guys put into this, it's just awesome to be a part of this team."
