The Steelers had minus-6 yards passing in the third quarter as the Browns had two sacks of Aaron Rodgers.
The fourth quarter has gotten off to a better start for the visitors.
On the second play of the final quarter, the Steelers had a pass interference penalty overturned on replay. Robert Spears-Jennings intercepted Deshaun Waston’s deep pass intended for Denzel Boston.
Steelers defensive back Daylen Everette was called for defensive pass interference, though, and the 42-yard penalty had the Browns at the Pittsburgh 23. The Steelers challenged the play, and it was reversed on replay because Jack Sawyer tipped the pass at the line of scrimmage, negating the penalty.
Rodgers took advantage with a six-play, 77-yard touchdown drive.
He rolled to his right to avoid another sack and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Darnell Washington. The Browns stopped the 2-point conversion, leaving the Steelers trailing 21-16.
Rodgers is 16-of-29 for 222 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Steelers Clips
Browns defensive tackle Mike Hall, who replaced the injured Mason Graham in the first quarter, left late in the second quarter.
Hall was rushing Aaron Rodgers when Browns defensive end Jared Verse was pushed by Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth into Hall’s right leg.
Rodgers threw incomplete with 1:06 left in the half.
Hall needed a cart to get back to the training room.
The Browns list him as questionable to return with an ankle injury.
Graham is ruled out with a left knee injury. He was initially questionable to return, but the Browns updated his status out of halftime.
Adin Huntington replaced Hall, and he and Maliek Collins are the only true defensive tackles the Browns have left standing for tonight.
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has gone back to the future tonight, playing his best game since the 2021 season in Houston.
Watson threw for 181 yards and a touchdown in the first half, and the Browns took a 21-10 lead over the Steelers into the locker room at halftime.
Watson, who is making his 23rd start in his fifth season in Cleveland, completed 14 of 17 passes in the first half. His touchdown pass was a 2-yard throw to tight end Harold Fannin with 1:22 remaining in the first half.
Watson now has five touchdown passes and no interceptions since a clunker of a season opener against the Jaguars.
After the first two series when they had seven plays and 31 yards, the Browns had scoring drives of 56, 74 and 62 yards. They are 2-for-2 in the red zone.
Jaleel McLaughlin scored on a 28-yard run as the Browns converted on cornerback Denzel Ward’s pick of Aaron Rodgers, and Quinshon Judkins had a 2-yard touchdown run.
The Browns have outgained the Steelers 222 to 185 yards.
The Browns rookie receivers, Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, have led the way. Boston has three catches for 74 yards and Concepcion four for 58.
The Steelers are only 1-of-2 in the red zone, settling for Chris Boswell’s 31-yard field goal with 8 seconds left in the half after reaching the Cleveland 13. Boswell missed a 48-yard try wide left with 5:26 remaining.
Rodgers is 12-of-21 for 138 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His 12-yard scoring toss went to Roman Wilson, who has two catches for 61 yards.
The Browns have sacked him twice and hit him four times.
Steelers defensive end Derrick Harmon was carted to the training room early in the second quarter.
The Steelers list him as questionable to return with a foot injury.
It is unknown how or when Harmon was injured.
Harman has no stats on Thursday night, but he has 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble this season.
The Steelers made him a first-round pick in 2025.
The Browns lost their 2025 first-round pick, Mason Graham, to a knee injury in the first quarter. Graham is also questionable to return.
The Browns have taken a 14-7 lead on the Steelers.
Quinshon Judkins’ 2-yard run with 8:28 remaining in the second quarter has the home team leading for the first time.
The Browns needed only four plays to go 74 yards.
Deshaun Watson opened the drive with a 60-yard pass to rookie wideout Denzel Boston to the Pittsburgh 14. He then had completions of 5 yards to rookie wideout KC Concepcion and 7 yards to Judkins.
Judkins then pushed it across on first-and-goal.
Watson is 8-of-10 for 125 yards.
Browns defensive end Sam Williams hit Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ arm, forcing an errant throw toward Michael Pittman. Instead, it went to Browns cornerback Denzel Ward.
Ward’s interception set up Cleveland at its own 44.
Four plays later, the Browns were in the end zone to tie the game 7-7.
Quinshon Judkins had a 3-yard run, followed by Deshaun Watson completions to Harold Fannin and Judkins for 13 and 12 yards respectively.
Jaleel McLaughlin did the rest, running it in from 28 yards out.
Watson is 5-of-7 for 53 yards.
Steelers defensive tackle Mason Graham was injured in the first quarter Thursday night.
Graham was bent back awkwardly on running back Jaylen Warren’s 6-yard run up the middle with 7:27 remaining.
He remained on the ground, grabbing his left knee, but he walked off under his own power.
Graham had a brief visit to the sideline medical tent before heading to the training room for further evaluation. He walked with less of a limp than he did when he left the playing field.
The Browns announced he is questionable to return with a knee injury.
The fifth overall pick in 2025, Graham totaled four sacks in the first three games.
The Steelers scored after Graham departed, taking a 7-0 lead on Roman Wilson’s 12-yard reception from Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh went 78 yards in 17 plays and 9:48.
The Browns had three defensive penalties for 25 yards, while Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf received a 15-yard taunting penalty.
Rodgers was 6-of-8 for 60 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive.
Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey is active for Thursday Night Football.
It confirmed a report from earlier in the day that Ramsey would play against the Browns despite fractured wrist. He will play with a cast to protect his injury.
Ramsey was a limited participant on the three injury reports this week and was questionable to play.
He has totaled 17 tackles with one pass defensed and a forced fumble so far in 2026.
Cornerback Brandin Echols (concussion) and defensive end Yahya Black (personal) are also active after being listed as questionable to play.
The Steelers’ inactives are running back Rico Dowdle (toe), quarterback Drew Allar, running back Eli Heidenreich, defensive tackle Kevin Jobity Jr., defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio and quarterback Will Howard. Howard is the emergency third quarterback.
The Browns’ inactives are quarterback Taylen Green, wide receiver Tylan Wallace (knee), linebacker Justin Jefferson, center Elgton Jenkins (concussion) and offensive guard Teven Jenkins (back). Green is the emergency third quarterback.
The Cowboys’ injury report did not change Thursday. The only thing that changed was the trade for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who was not listed on the report.
That was news in and of itself from the report as Porter practiced after passing his physical.
The Steelers had ruled out Porter for Thursday night’s game against the Browns, adding his on-again, off-again back issue on Wednesday’s injury report.
In no surprise, Porter said his back was “feeling better” after the trade to the Cowboys.
He hopes to make his 2026 debut on Sunday when the Cowboys play the Texans.
“We’re just trying to take things day by day,” Porter said after his first practice in Dallas, via Todd Archer of ESPN, “and if everything looks good, then we should be out there.”
Porter’s addition gives the team depth at the position, with cornerbacks Shavon Revel (right knee/right ankle) and Cobie Durant (hamstring) still not practicing.
Porter did not get the contract extension he wanted in Pittsburgh and was holding in, an inactive for the first three games. He will play in Dallas on the final year of his deal, because, he said, the Cowboys have shown him “value” that the Steelers didn’t.
“I think he’s excited about the opportunity to maybe play, but we’ll see how the rest of the week goes,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said, via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News. “This was a good start today.”
Porter said he got what he wanted in going to the Cowboys and now he would like to finish his career in Dallas.
“I’m down with it if they are. I want to finish my career here,” Porter said. “So hopefully I just perform like how I know how to perform and do what I do, and I’m going to let everything take care of the rest.”
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) also did not practice a second consecutive day, and safety Malik Hooker (fractured forearm) was limited again after returning to practice Wednesday.
Outside linebacker James Houston (shoulder) remained a full participant.
The Steelers thought the dance was over. When the music started up again, they decided they’d had enough.
As explained by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the “final straw” for the Steelers in their relationship with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. came when Porter, after two days of fully participating in practice, claimed that he had back pain on Wednesday.
That’s when the Steelers decided to make a trade.
Ultimately, it was a win for Porter. He got what he wanted — a one-way ticket out of town.
Former Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons achieved the same result last year. Once the Cowboys realized he was serious about not playing unless and until he got a new deal, they traded him to the Packers. For the Steelers, who seemed to think Porter eventually would blink, the fourth game became the moment they accepted that Porter was committed to the bit.
And, yes, it was a bit. He wasn’t too injured to play, if he was injured at all. Amazingly, he’s not even listed on the Cowboys’ injury report, one day after being limited on Pittsburgh’s final report of the week, and in turn ruled out for Thursday night’s game.
For players who can’t hold out due to the financial consequences under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a hold in that lingers until they get what they want is the best, and only, alternative.
Was it a real injury? If the team has no way to challenge it without creating an ugly legal fight and/or a P.R. shitstorm, it doesn’t matter.
For most players, a lifetime of football has caused some condition from the top of their head to the tips of their toes that would justify not playing. Unless the team is willing to stage a confrontation that would instantly ruin an already tenuous relationship, the only viable option is to trade the player.
