The Pittsburgh Steelers got their revenge on the Cleveland Browns with a huge 27-6 victory, taking over the top spot in the AFC North. The Browns entered the matchup riding high after winning the first meeting between these two teams earlier this season, but their hopes of earning another win in Pittsburgh were quickly shut down.
Cleveland hasn't won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh in 23 years, and that streak continued Sunday.
After a week of talking, the Browns were punched in the mouth by a Steelers team that dominated from start to finish. Pittsburgh's 21-point victory could have been even more lopsided if not for its struggles in the red zone.
Still, it was arguably the Steelers' most complete performance of the season, with contributions coming from all three phases of the game. Here are some of the biggest standouts from their win.
Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest standouts from Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns
The Steelers dominated in the trenches
From the opening kickoff, the Steelers set the tone by dominating the Browns on both the offensive and defensive lines. Pittsburgh was able to do just about anything it wanted up front, while Cleveland had no answers for the physicality on either side of the ball.
The Steelers' offensive line opened up plenty of running lanes for Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, who combined for 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. One of those touchdowns came on a successful tush push, with Pat Freiermuth helping push the ball across the goal line. The offensive line also did a solid job protecting the quarterback, allowing just one sack throughout the game.
On the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh's defensive front was just as dominant, recording eight sacks while holding Cleveland to only 34 rushing yards as a team. The Browns couldn't establish any sort of running game or find much success against the Steelers' pass rush. It was about as dominant a performance in the trenches as you could ask for, and it played a major role in Pittsburgh's convincing victory.
Warren and Dowdle form a dangerous one-two punch
The Steelers are once again showing the rest of the NFL that they could have one of the best running back tandems in the league. Jaylen Warren had another monster performance, carrying the ball 17 times for 143 yards and a touchdown, while Rico Dowdle added 56 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Together, the two have given Pittsburgh a dangerous one-two punch in the backfield that opposing defenses are having a difficult time containing.
The Steelers are beginning to establish a clear offensive identity, and it revolves around running the football. If Pittsburgh can continue to commit to the ground game and produce at this level on a weekly basis, this offense could become extremely dangerous as the season progresses.
Mount Washington carries the passing game
The Steelers' passing game never really got going, largely because Pittsburgh was having so much success running the football that it didn't need to rely on the passing attack. However, when the Steelers did take to the air, Darnell Washington came up with two huge plays that helped move the offense down the field.
Washington made the most of his opportunities, finishing the game with three catches for 94 yards and proving to be a major weapon in the passing game when called upon.
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