Pittsburgh takes control early
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-6 at Acrisure Stadium in Week 8, pairing Jaylen Warren’s rushing production with a defense that recorded eight sacks and two fumble recoveries. Both teams entered at 5-2. Pittsburgh moved to 6-2 with its third consecutive win, while Cleveland fell to 5-3 after victories over Baltimore and Tennessee. The Steelers built a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and outscored Cleveland 13-6 in the second to reach halftime ahead 20-6. Pittsburgh added seven points in the third quarter. Neither team scored in the fourth.
Warren drives the ground game
Warren carried 17 times for 143 yards and a touchdown, averaging 8.4 yards per attempt. Rico Dowdle added 56 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, giving the two backs a combined 199 rushing yards. Pat Freiermuth supplied another rushing touchdown on a one-yard carry and caught both of his targets for 35 yards. Darnell Washington led Pittsburgh’s listed receiving performances with three catches for 94 yards on five targets. Cleveland got little rushing production from Quinshon Judkins, who finished with 25 yards on 11 carries. He also caught two passes for 24 yards.
Fannin produces despite Cleveland’s scoring struggles
Harold Fannin Jr. gave Cleveland its biggest individual performance, catching 10 of 12 targets for 154 yards. Deshaun Watson completed 27 of 39 passes for 324 yards, but that passing production did not translate into points beyond the second quarter. Dylan Sampson caught six of seven targets for 62 yards and gained seven yards on his only carry. Denzel Boston drew 12 targets, matching Fannin, but finished with six receptions for 37 yards. Pittsburgh’s eight sacks and two fumble recoveries helped keep Cleveland to six points despite those receiving totals.
Fantasy returns favor Fannin and Warren
Fannin led the game’s PPR scoring with 23.4 points, with his 10 receptions providing a strong return even in a lopsided loss. Warren followed at 21.3 points on the strength of his rushing yardage and touchdown. Sampson’s receiving work lifted him to 12.9 PPR points despite just one rushing attempt. Washington scored 12.4, while Freiermuth and Dowdle each finished with 11.6. Pittsburgh’s defense delivered 16.0 fantasy points.
Next opponents
Cleveland visits the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. ET. Pittsburgh’s next game is at the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10 on Nov. 15 at 8:20 p.m. ET.