Pittsburgh stretched its regular-season home winning streak over Cleveland to 23 games and denied the Browns their first sweep of the Steelers since 1988.
The Steelers did what the Steelers have been doing to the Browns at home for decades: win. Pittsburgh's defense teed off on Deshaun Watson all afternoon, sacking him eight times and turning what was billed as a tight AFC North showdown into another chapter of a one-sided home series.
Both teams came in at 5-2, with first place in the division on the line, and Cleveland had its sights set on something it hasn't managed since 1988: sweeping the season series against Pittsburgh. That bid is dead. The Steelers' regular-season home winning streak against the Browns now sits at 23 games, a number that keeps getting harder to fathom every time Cleveland shows up in Pittsburgh with hope.
With the win, the Steelers move into first place in the AFC North, pushing the Browns back down in the standings. For Cleveland, it is the same old story on the road against their rivals. For Pittsburgh, it is a defense that looked disruptive enough to make Watson's day miserable from start to finish, and a division race that now tilts in their favor.