Aaron Rodgers' 2 TD passes, stingy defense lead Steelers past Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers ensured a long trip back up the turnpike Sunday for the Cleveland Browns.

Again.

For the 22nd consecutive time in the regular season, the Steelers dispatched the Browns at Acrisure Stadium, riding Aaron Rodgers’ two second-half touchdowns and a defense that didn’t give up a touchdown to a 23-9 victory at Acrisure Stadium.

The Steelers haven’t lost to the Browns at home in the regular season since 2003, and they are 15-4 under coach Mike Tomlin when coming off a bye week.

Armed with a three-game winning streak, the Steelers will take a 4-1 record into their game Thursday night against the 2-4 Cincinnati Bengals. A second win in five days would create more separation in a division where the Browns and Baltimore Ravens are each 1-5.

It also would stamp the Steelers as a legitimate contender in the AFC where Buffalo and Indianapolis are the only other teams with one loss.

“That’s where we want to be, and we’re putting ourselves in the position, right, to start entering the conversation,” said Rodgers, who threw touchdown passes to Connor Heyward and DK Metcalf. “But a lot can happen. There’s a lot of time between now and December football.”

It’s not lost to those on the Steelers last season that they were 8-1 after beating the Ravens in their division opener. Four days later, the Steelers lost in Cleveland, and they won only two more games the rest of the way.

“It’s still early in the season,” safety DeShon Elliott said. “We have to handle our games. Last year, we were 8-2 then we started (crapping) the bed. We have to keep stacking these wins.”

What’s encouraging for the Steelers is that their defense, much maligned at the start of the season, is hitting its stride. Buoyed by the return of outside linebacker Alex Highsmith and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from injury, the Steelers held the Browns to 248 yards, easily a season low. It was the first time this season the Steelers held an opponent to under 350.

Jalen Ramsey, returning from a shoulder injury that kept him from practicing until Friday, had two of the Steelers’ six sacks. Nick Herbig also had two, as the Steelers harassed Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, hitting him 16 times.

“I’ll probably tell my kids I played in a game with T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett, and I had two sacks,” Ramsey said. “It’s crazy. It’s the first time having two in my career. That’s pretty cool.”

Where Watt had a half-sack and hit Gabriel three times, Garrett was quiet and held without a sack for the third consecutive game. He finished with two assisted tackles.

The Steelers’ offensive line did a good job protecting Rodgers, who was hit just three times and not sacked by the Browns. Rodgers has been sacked just twice in the past three games after being dropped seven times in the first two. He also played error-free football while completing 21 of 30 passes for 235 yards and a 115.3 passer rating.

“I think we’re playing pretty smart football,” Rodgers said. “I think Art (Smith, the offensive coordinator) got us into a good rhythm today. When we take care of the football and don’t turn it over, we’re going to have a chance in any game. Then, if we can control the line of scrimmage, we’re really going to be playing downhill.”

Facing the NFL’s top-ranked rush defense, the Steelers used a triumvirate of Jaylen Warren, Kenny Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson to rush for 100 yards on 28 carries. Warren led with 52 yards on 11 attempts.

Rodgers also found Gainwell out of the backfield six times. Metcalf led the receivers with four catches for 95 yards that included his 25-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 23-6 lead. Tight end Darnell Washington had a 36-yard catch on the first offensive snap and totaled 62 yards on three catches. Jonnu Smith added three catches and a 10-yard run, and Rodgers completed passes to eight players, including all four tight ends.

“When (Rodgers) is in the gun, especially throwing the football, I always think I got a chance,” said Metcalf, who scored a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game, “especially with the way our O-line is playing. They’re definitely giving him time back there to find the open guy downfield.”

The offense didn’t start clicking until the second half when they built upon a 9-3 lead. Chris Boswell kicked field goals of 44, 50 and 48 yards after the offense failed to reach the red zone in the first half.

That streak ended on the Steelers’ first possession of the third quarter. After a running into the punter penalty extended the drive, Rodgers led a 10-play, 79-yard march to the end zone. He found Heyward on a scramble play for a 12-yard touchdown.

After the Browns got a second field goal from Andre Szmyt, the Steelers hiked their advantage to three scores on the Rodgers-to-Metcalf hookup. The Browns got another field goal but could get no closer against a defense that got a turnover on downs on each of the final two possessions.

“We were talking about no double digits, no double digits, no double digits the whole time,” inside linebacker Patrick Queen said. “It was huge. Every time we got to third down, I kept saying two more plays and we can get off the field.”

In the process, the Steelers held Browns rookie running back sensation Quinshon Judkins to 36 yards on 12 carries. The Browns had 65 yards rushing, another season low for the Steelers’ defense. Gabriel attempted 52 passes, completing 29 for 221 yards and a 66.3 rating. The Steelers are 27-6 under Tomlin when facing a rookie quarterback.

“I just think we’re getting a full complement of our weapons back,” Tomlin said. “Everybody goes through injuries, and I’m not seeking comfort in the lack of availability, but if you are asking me, ‘Why is it starting to look the way that we desire?’ We got a full complement of talent. When we put this band together, we feel like we can do things like you saw today.”