The Steelers against the Browns, Nov. 1, 2026. Image from the official game highlights, resized.Six wins, a four-game streak and first place: the Steelers at the bye, step by step
Mike McCarthy, Jaylen Warren, T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Aaron Rodgers after the Browns win, Nov. 1, 2026. Image by Pittsburgh Steelers, resized.6-2 and first in the North
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-6 on Sunday, Nov. 1, at Acrisure Stadium, then headed into their Week 9 bye alone atop the AFC North at 6-2. Cleveland fell to 5-3. Cincinnati is 5-2; Baltimore is 4-4.
It was Pittsburgh’s fourth straight win after a 2-2 start, and the most complete game of Mike McCarthy’s first season as head coach.
AFC North standings after Week 8
“I think we're exactly what our record says we are.”— Mike McCarthy, after the Browns win
Aaron Rodgers (8), Mason McCormick (66) and Zach Frazier (54) at Steelers practice, July 25, 2025. Photo by Cramerwiki, resized.A rocky 2-2 start
The first four weeks were uneven. Pittsburgh beat Atlanta 20-13 and Cincinnati 30-27, then lost 20-3 at New England and 27-24 at Cleveland on a Thursday night. The offense scored 16 points across the first two games, then 54 across the next two. The defense allowed 13 in each of the first two and 27 in each of the next two.
Steelers points by game, Weeks 1-4
- Won 20-13 against Atlanta. T.J. Watt had two sacks and a pick-six. Pittsburgh ran for only 58 yards.
- Lost 20-3 at New England. Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times; the Steelers managed 235 yards.
- Won 30-27 against Cincinnati. Rodgers threw three touchdowns; Warren ran for 127.
- Lost 27-24 at Cleveland on Thursday night. Rodgers threw for 299 yards and three scores but also two interceptions.
Mike McCarthy in Paris, Oct. 23, 2026. Image by Pittsburgh Steelers, resized.Four wins in a row
Since that Thursday loss the Steelers have beaten Indianapolis 34-22, Tampa Bay 26-19 in overtime, New Orleans 16-10 in Paris and Cleveland 27-6 in the rematch. They have outscored those four opponents 103-57.
Points scored in the four-game streak
- Won 34-22 against Indianapolis. Warren had 101 rushing yards, 87 receiving and two touchdowns.
- Won 26-19 in overtime at Tampa Bay. Nick Herbig had two sacks; Pittsburgh held the ball for 38:36.
- Won 16-10 at New Orleans in Paris. Warren ran for 101; the Saints managed 18 rushing yards.
- Won 27-6 against Cleveland. Pittsburgh ran for 200 yards and sacked Watson eight times.
Jaylen Warren at Steelers training camp, August 2024. Photo by Cramerwiki, resized.Warren: 704 yards and the birthday night
Jaylen Warren has 704 rushing yards on 119 carries, 5.9 a carry, plus 294 receiving yards on 25 catches. On his 28th birthday against Cleveland he ran for 143 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, including a 51-yard trap on third-and-13, matching his career high.
Warren's rushing yards by game
“He's a bowling ball with teeth, man. You can't get him down.”— T.J. Watt, on Warren after the Browns win
T.J. Watt, Oct. 30, 2026. Image by Pittsburgh Steelers, resized.Eight sacks and 34 rushing yards allowed
Against Cleveland the Steelers sacked Deshaun Watson eight times for 41 yards and held the Browns to 34 rushing yards on 15 carries. Cleveland went 0-for-3 in the red zone and 0-for-2 on fourth down and did not score a touchdown.
Steelers sacks of Watson by player
Watt has 7.5 sacks on the season, tied for the NFL lead. Queen led the team with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. The defense has not allowed a touchdown in seven quarters.
Nick Chubb against Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in a 2019 Browns-Steelers game. Photo by Erik Drost, resized.The two-back punch
Rico Dowdle, signed in free agency to pair with Warren, missed early time with a toe injury and has returned as the complementary runner. Against Cleveland he had 56 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. The Steelers ran for three touchdowns that day after totaling one all season.
Steelers team rushing yards by game
“Jaylen is on fire. You can't get him the ball enough.”— Mike McCarthy, on the two-back plan
Aaron Rodgers in Paris, Oct. 23, 2026. Image by Pittsburgh Steelers, resized.Rodgers and the supporting cast
Aaron Rodgers has completed 175 of 288 passes for 1,871 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. Against Cleveland he was 13 of 25 for 172 yards with one interception, while Darnell Washington caught three passes for a career-high 94 yards, including a 58-yard catch-and-run to the 1.
Rodgers' passing yards by game
Pittsburgh averages 22.5 points a game. The offense leaned on the run against Cleveland and still wanted more: Rodgers said afterward he wanted “a lot more points.”
Aaron Rodgers at a Steelers press conference, October 2026. Image by Pittsburgh Steelers, resized.Bye, then Cincinnati on the road
The Steelers are off in Week 9. They return at Cincinnati on Nov. 15, then at Philadelphia on Nov. 22 and host Denver on Friday after Thanksgiving. They already beat the Bengals 30-27 in Week 3.
- Bye. Pittsburgh sits alone atop the AFC North at 6-2.
- Steelers at Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. Cairo)
- Steelers at Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET (11:25 p.m. Cairo)
- Broncos at Steelers, Friday after Thanksgiving
From 2-2 and a Thursday night loss in Cleveland to four straight wins, 200 rushing yards and eight sacks in the rematch. The Steelers enter the bye exactly what their record says they are: 6-2 and first in the North.
Records, scores, yardage, sacks and player totals come from the official box scores through Sunday, Nov. 1. Division standings are as of Thursday, Nov. 5. The quotes are from the Steelers’ post-game news conference after the Browns win.
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