Matt's Stats: Week 8 vs. Browns

Series history

The Steelers and Browns have met 149 times dating back to 1950. Of those matchups, only three have been in the postseason. Pittsburgh is 2-1 in the playoffs against the Browns. Overall, this series sits at 83-66-1 in Pittsburgh's favor. To begin this series, Cleveland started off with an eight-game winning streak, won 12 of the first 13 contests, and only had two losses out of the first 18 times these teams squared off. Starting in December 1962, the tides greatly turned to the Steelers' favor. The Browns won just four games between that point and October 1983. Even more extreme, starting in January 1994, Pittsburgh has won 45 of the next 56 games with a tie thrown in during that time. Since 2007, the Steelers have outscored Cleveland by 286 points in these head-to-head matchups. This is the AFC's oldest rivalry. The Browns won earlier this season 27-24.

Matchup overview

• The Browns have lost five in a row in Pittsburgh but have won five of their last six this season. Pittsburgh has won 22 straight regular season home games vs. the Browns.

• The last time Cleveland swept the Steelers in the regular season was 1988. The Steelers have swept the Browns 13 times in the regular season since 1988.

• Cleveland is 4-0 this season in games decided by three or fewer points. The Browns have been tied or behind in the fourth quarter of every game this season. That is only true for Cleveland and Tennessee.

• The Browns have held the lead for 20.5% of their offensive plays, 26^th in the league.

• The Browns have been outscored 58-13 in the first quarter, the worst first quarter point differential in the league.

• Both teams are 5-2, but Pittsburgh has outscored opponents by 15 points while Cleveland has been outscored by 13. The Browns are one of 167 teams this century to begin a season winning five of their first seven games. Of those 167 teams, the Browns are tied for last in the point differential in their wins (+16).

• Pittsburgh is +4 in turnover differential compared to the Browns, who are dead even. The Steelers now have 11 takeaways; only four defenses have more. The Browns have lost six fumbles; only the Chargers and Saints have lost more. The Steelers have only lost two fumbles; only five offenses have lost fewer. Pittsburgh and Cleveland have forced eight fumbles; only the Raiders and Jets have forced more.

• Pittsburgh held the ball for 32:03 in Week 7. Cleveland was at 31:14 bringing their total for the season to 29:27. The Steelers are now at 31:37 for the year.

• The Steelers have a -4 sack differential. The Browns are at -5. Deshaun Watson has been sacked 25 times. Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 22. They are the two most-sacked quarterbacks in the league.

• The Browns defense has the most tackles for loss in the league with 46. Pittsburgh is second with 43.

• Cleveland's offense is producing 106.7 rushing yards per game. Pittsburgh's is at 106.1. That is 19^th and 20^th, respectively. The Steelers give up 91 rushing yards per game compared to 116.4 for the Browns. That is seventh and 20^th, respectively.

• The Steelers out-rushed New Orleans by 130 yards last week. Pittsburgh averages 0.9 yards per rush (4.6) more than they allow (3.9).

• Cleveland has 184 rushing attempts. The Browns defense has faced 184 rushing attempts.

• Pittsburgh's defense stops opposing rush attempts at or behind the line of scrimmage at a 25.2% rate. Cleveland's defense is at 24.7%. That is fourth and sixth best, respectively.

• The Steelers are being penalized 6.0 times per game. Only the Colts and Vikings are penalized less often. The Browns are penalized 9.0 times per game. Only the Packers are penalized more often.

• Browns rookies have played 1,689 snaps, only behind Miami. Steelers rookies have played 989, the 10^th most.

When Pittsburgh has the ball

• The Steelers averaged 5.6 yards per play in the first meeting and 5.4 last week. The Browns gave up 5.2 last week. For the year, Pittsburgh's offense is at 5.1, and the Browns defense is at 5.0.

• The Steelers' 64.2% pass rate is only behind Dallas and Green Bay.

• The Browns have had four defensive backs on the field for 5.2% of their snaps. Not only is that the lowest in the league, but the next closest defense (Seattle) is at 11.7%.

• Pittsburgh utilized a sixth offensive lineman for the first time in Week 7.

• 92.9% of Pittsburgh's offensive touchdowns have come through the air, the highest percentage in the league. The Steelers have one rushing touchdown.

• The Steelers average 143.9 yards after the catch per game, only behind Kansas City.

• The Browns see the highest percentage of deep targets (14%). Their average depth of target faced of 9.48 is the highest in the league.

• They also allow a 60.3% completion rate, fifth best.

• Pittsburgh is using play action on 19% of dropbacks, only ahead of New Orleans and Philadelphia.

• Pittsburgh's 2.71 seconds average time to throw is only higher than three offenses. The Browns defense faces a 2.79 time to throw, the sixth highest.

• Rodgers threw for 299 yards in Cleveland earlier this season, 154 coming in the fourth quarter. He had just two completions that traveled farther than 5 yards downfield last week. Rodgers has completed just 20% of his deep attempts.

• DK Metcalf racked up 115 receiving yards in these teams' first meeting. He has four or fewer receptions in five of seven games.

• In his three starts, Germie Bernard leads the team with a 27% target share. 21.6% of his targets have come behind the line of scrimmage. 53.9% of Bernard's routes have come out of the slot over the past three weeks. From the slot over that time, he averages 2.49 yards per route run compared to 0.63 on the outside.

• Pat Freiermuth has just four catches over his past two games. He ranks 34^th in yards per route run (1.08) among 42 qualified tight ends. Freiermuth had three catches for 17 yards when these teams last met.

• The Browns allow the fourth fewest receiving yards per game (20) to running backs.

• Rodgers was sacked five times in Cleveland in Week 4. The Browns only had one sack last week. The Browns have 11 different defenders with at least one sack. Cleveland's 2.9 sacks per game is sixth most while the Steelers' 3.1 sacks allowed is only better than the Chargers and Browns. Cleveland is fourth best with a 7% sack rate. The Browns have not rushed just three defenders on any play this year.

• Rodgers has been sacked 14 times on third downs. No other quarterback has been sacked more than 10. Geno Smith, on average, loses 25.3 yards per game via sacks. Rodgers is at 25.1. No other quarterback is over 22.0.

• The Steelers produce 4.64 yards per rush attempt, eighth best.

• Pittsburgh is fifth best in rushing yards before contact (1.45). The Browns defense is eighth best (1.12).

• Pittsburgh is fourth best in the league in rushing yards after contact (3.14). The Browns defense is 31^st (3.23).

• Pittsburgh is sixth best in explosive run rate (6%). The Browns defense is last in the league (12%). Cleveland has given up 28 runs of 10+ yards, most in the league.

• Over the past two weeks since Rico Dowdle has returned from injury, Jaylen Warren has out-snapped him 95 to 49.

• Warren had 137 total yards last week with 101 coming on the ground. 71 of those rushing yards came after first contact. Warren now has eight straight games with 70+ yards from scrimmage (the longest running back streak in the league currently) and that was his fourth game with 125+ total yards. He carried the ball 17 times for 93 yards in Cleveland earlier this year. Warren is the first running back since 2019 (Christian McCaffrey) to have 550+ rushing yards and 250+ receiving yards in his first seven games of a season. His 6.8 yards per touch leads the 29 players with 75+ touches.

• Dowdle had a season-high 86 yards from scrimmage in Paris. His six catches were a career high.

• Cleveland gave up 141 rushing yards last week.

• Pittsburgh was 10 of 16 on third down last week.

• The Browns rank sixth in red zone defense (45.0%). The Steelers red zone offense ranks 27^th (47.4%). Pittsburgh has thrown the ball on 68.6% of red zone plays, the league's highest percentage.

When Cleveland has the ball

• The Saints averaged 4.9 yards per play last week against Pittsburgh while Cleveland averaged 7.4 against the Titans. The Browns averaged 6.0 yards per play in the first meeting, but just 5.0 for the season. Pittsburgh's defense allows 5.0.

• Cleveland throws the ball at a 56.2% rate, 18^th highest.

• The Browns are in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE) 71% of the time, fourth highest. They have yet to use one snap of 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs).

• Cleveland goes under center just 26.4% of the time, the lowest rate in the league.

• The Steelers allow 1.57 touchdowns per game, third best behind Minnesota and Kansas City. But Pittsburgh has faced the most field goal attempts (22).

• The Steelers are fifth best in scoring defense.

• The Browns are 25^th in explosive play rate (12%). The Steelers defense is sixth best (12%).

• The Browns turn a set of downs into a new set of downs or a touchdown at a 67% rate, better than only five offenses. The Steelers defense is at 68%. Only four defenses are better.

• Pittsburgh's defense is seeing a league-low 21% play action rate.

• The Steelers defense is fifth best in explosive pass rate (12%).

• Pittsburgh's 45 pass breakups are the most in the league.

• The Browns have the seventh highest time to throw (3.07). The Steelers face a time to throw of 2.55 seconds. Only two defenses see a quicker time to throw.

• Watson threw for 308 yards last week. It was his first 300-yard passing game in a Browns uniform. Watson has completed just 29.2% of his deep attempts. He has failed to account for multiple touchdowns in four straight games. 56.4% of Watson's passing yards have come after the catch, most in the league.

• WR KC Concepcion led the Browns with 129 receiving yards (a career high) in Week 6. TE Harold Fannin Jr. was next with 91.

• Concepcion's targets per route spiked to 35.7% in that game, beating his previous career high of 25%. He has seen at least a 20% target share in every completed game of his young career. Last week, Concepcion had 55 yards after contact, the most by any wide receiver in any game this season. He has aligned in the slot 47.8% of his snaps.

• WR Denzel Boston's 18.6 yards per catch is only behind Romeo Doubs.

• Fannin's 25.7% target share last week was the first game he hit 20% since Week 3 and 59 of his yards last week came after the catch.

• The Saints' three tight ends combined to catch four passes for 20 yards despite Tyler Shough throwing the ball 38 times. Pittsburgh allows 4.1 receptions per game to tight ends, fourth fewest.

• Pittsburgh allows 40.7 receiving yards per game to running backs, the fifth most.

• Watson was sacked just once last week. The Steelers sacked Shough just twice. Pittsburgh's 2.6 sacks per game is ninth highest while the Browns' 3.6 allowed per game is league worst, as is their 8% sack rate.

• The Browns are being blitzed at the league's fifth highest rate (30%).

• The Steelers had three batted passes against New Orleans. That brings Pittsburgh's total to 21 for the season. No other defense has more than 17.

• Pittsburgh gave up 18 rushing yards in Paris with a 1.1 yards per rush average. They gave up just 11 rushing yards to running backs in that game. The Steelers held the Saints to the lowest yards per designed rush attempt in a game since 2021 (minimum 15 carries). Pittsburgh gives up just 3.7 yards per carry, sixth best.

• Cleveland ran for 183 yards against Tennessee and averaged 6.3 yards per carry.

• Pittsburgh's defense is third best in rushing yards before contact (1.0). The Browns offense is 27^th (1.07).

• The Browns have the league's 29^th-ranked explosive run rate (8%).

• Quinshon Judkins led the way last week with 96 rushing yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. It was only the fourth game of his career that Judkins averaged over 4.0 yards per carry.

• Judkins played 37 snaps compared to 32 for Dylan Sampson against Tennessee. Judkins only played one snap on third downs.

• Watson has at least 19 rushing yards in every game.

• After having the league's worst fourth quarter defense by a wide margin in 2025, the Steelers have not allowed a second half touchdown in the last four games. Only the Vikings (4.2) allow fewer points in the second half of games than Pittsburgh (6.7).

• The Steelers defense allows just 1.86 red zone trips per game, best in the league. Only 18% of the total drives Pittsburgh has defended have reached the red zone (2^nd). Six of the 13 red zone trips have resulted in a touchdown (6^th) and they have not allowed a single red zone trip in the fourth quarter all season.

• The Browns offense has the league's worst third down conversion rate (36%).

Special teams

• The Browns have made 14 of 16 field goal attempts. Browns opponents have made 14 of 16 field goal attempts.

• There have been eight missed field goals in Steelers games this season. The four missed field goals by Steelers opponents are tied for most in the league. Pittsburgh's four missed field goals are tied for second most. There are three teams that have missed five field goal attempts.

• Only the Broncos and Eagles average more punts per game than Cleveland (4.86).

• The Steelers' average kickoff return goes for 23.6 yards, better than only Philadelphia and Carolina.

Most memorable moment: Steelers 36, Browns 33 (Jan. 5, 2003, Wild Card Round at Heinz Field)

This certainly was a wild one in the Wild Card round. Late in the third quarter, Cleveland was winning this game 24-7. Kelly Holcomb finished the day with 429 passing yards, but the Browns could only muster up 38 rushing yards, and a lack of a running game made it very difficult to put Pittsburgh away. Tommy Maddox led a furious late game comeback, and the Steelers scored 22 fourth quarter points to advance to take on the Titans. Meanwhile, the Browns couldn't find their way back into the playoffs after this loss until the 2020-21 season.

Key matchups

Browns rookie wide receivers vs. Steelers cornerbacks

Cleveland has an exciting and dynamic pair of rookie wideouts in Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion who could be a nuisance for the Steelers for years to come. They have varied skill sets that complement one another extremely well. Boston and Concepcion combined for 153 receiving yards in these teams' first meeting.

Steelers RB Jaylen Warren vs. Browns LB Carson Schwesinger

The Steelers' pair of running backs vs. Cleveland's off-the-ball linebackers is an exciting matchup in both the run and pass game. But the headline is Warren against Schwesinger, who is already one of the few premier linebackers in football in just his second season. He is a cornerstone player for the Browns organization.