Watson and Browns hold off Steelers’ fightback on last-gasp 56-yard field goal

Andre Szmyt celebrates with Corey Bojorquez after kicking a 56-yard game-winning field goal in the Browns’ victory over the Steelers on Thursday in Cleveland. Photograph: Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenAndre Szmyt celebrates with Corey Bojorquez after kicking a 56-yard game-winning field goal in the Browns’ victory over the Steelers on Thursday in Cleveland. Photograph: Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWatson and Browns hold off Steelers’ fightback on last-gasp 56-yard field goalSzmyt hits career-long kick with 10 seconds remaining

Cleveland improve to 3-1 after surviving Pittsburgh rally

Rodgers throws three TDs but two costly interceptions

Deshaun Watson passed for 268 yards and moved the Browns into position for Andre Szmyt’s career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining, giving Cleveland a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

Watson, who completed 24 of 33 passes with a touchdown and an interception, went 4 of 5 for 46 yards as he led a go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter for the third straight week.

Read moreThe Browns – who are 3-1 for the first time since 2021 – had a 21-7 lead late in the first half before the Steelers rallied to tie it at 24-all. Aaron Rodgers threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth with 1:44 remaining, then sneaked it in for the two-point conversion.

Rodgers, who was 22 of 40 for 299 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, had one final chance to get the Steelers into field-goal range, but he was picked off by Grant Delpit at the Browns’ 18 with one second left.

Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren rushed for 93 yards on 17 carries and DK Metcalf had five catches for 115 yards.

Cleveland’s defense sacked Rodgers five times.

Cleveland have won eight straight Thursday night games, the longest active streak and fourth-longest in NFL history. Four have come against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh (2-2) are 0-10 on the road against AFC North rivals on Thursdays.

After Cleveland went three-and-out on the opening possession, Pittsburgh went 78 yards in 17 plays, capped by Wilson taking a shovel pass 12 yards around left end on a jet sweep. It was the second straight game in which the Steelers have reached the end zone on their first drive.

View image in fullscreenAaron Rodgers throws a pass during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on Thursday night. Photograph: Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesThe rest of the first half was all Browns. Watson had 181 yards passing by halftime, his most in the first 30 minutes since joining the Browns in 2022.

Jaleel McLaughlin tied it at 7 with 12:14 remaining in the first half on a 28-yard run around right end. The fourth-year running back broke a pair of tackles at the 22 and went through a narrow opening at the 15 before scoring.

The drive was set up after Denzel Ward picked off Rodgers’ pass intended for Michael Pittman Jr at the Browns’ 44 on the second play of the second quarter.

Cleveland took a 14-7 lead midway through the second quarter on Quinshon Judkins’ two-yard run off right guard. The touchdown came three plays after Watson found Denzel Boston for a 60-yard completion to the Steelers’ 14 on the first play of the drive.

Harold Fannin Jr then hauled in his third touchdown in two games on a 2-yard pass from Watson on third-and-goal with 1:22 remaining.

It was the first time since Week 13 of the 2020 season against Tennessee that the Browns scored at least 21 points in the second quarter.

The Steelers got within 21-10 on Boswell’s 31-yard field goal with eight seconds left before halftime.

Rodgers rolled right and connected with Washington for a 21-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to bring Pittsburgh within 21-16. The two-point conversion attempt failed.