Andre Szmyt’s late 56-yard field goal gives Browns 27-24 win over Steelers
Pittsburgh erased a 14-point deficit and tied the game with 1:42 left, but Cleveland drove into range for Szmyt’s winning kick.
The Cleveland Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Thursday, Oct. 1, when Andre Szmyt made a 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left. The kick decided an AFC North game Pittsburgh had tied less than two minutes earlier. Cleveland improved to 3-1, while Pittsburgh fell to 2-2.
The final kick followed a seven-play, 36-yard Cleveland drive led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, according to the Browns’ game recap. Pittsburgh got the ball back, but safety Grant Delpit intercepted Aaron Rodgers’ final deep pass. The Steelers’ own account also describes the interception as the end of their last possession.
NewsJaws’ earlier report described a Browns win over the Steelers on a last-gasp 56-yard field goal. This account adds the scoring sequence, the late tying drive and the postgame records to explain how Thursday’s game reached that finish.
How the Browns built a 21-10 halftime lead
Pittsburgh took the lead on its opening possession. Rodgers finished a 17-play drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Roman Wilson, putting the Steelers ahead 7-0. The drive used 9:48 of the first quarter, according to the Steelers’ recap. Cleveland then turned the game in the second quarter with three consecutive touchdown possessions.
Denzel Ward intercepted Rodgers to give Cleveland the ball at its own 44-yard line, according to the Browns. Four plays later, Jaleel McLaughlin ran 28 yards for a touchdown. The Browns’ next scoring drive began with a 60-yard pass from Watson to Denzel Boston and ended with Quinshon Judkins running in from two yards. Watson then found Harold Fannin Jr. for a two-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.
Cleveland gained 191 yards and scored three touchdowns on 20 offensive plays in that second quarter, the Browns’ recap says. Pittsburgh closed the half with Chris Boswell’s 31-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining, leaving the Steelers behind 21-10 at the break. Those scores gave Cleveland a cushion, but the Steelers still had time to recover.
How Pittsburgh tied the game in the fourth quarter
Pittsburgh’s defense helped revive its offense. T.J. Watt stripped Watson of the ball in the third quarter and recovered the fumble, although the Steelers did not score on that possession. Early in the fourth, Jack Sawyer tipped a Watson pass that rookie Robert Spears-Jennings intercepted. A challenge by Steelers coach Mike McCarthy overturned a pass interference penalty after officials found Sawyer had touched the ball, according to Pittsburgh’s recap.
Rodgers used the ensuing possession to find DK Metcalf for a 43-yard gain and Darnell Washington for a 21-yard touchdown. Pittsburgh failed on the two-point attempt, leaving Cleveland ahead 21-16 with 10:10 to play. Szmyt answered with a 44-yard field goal at 6:37, extending the Browns’ lead to 24-16.
The Steelers’ final scoring drive covered 80 yards in eight plays. Rodgers threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth with 1:42 remaining, then ran in the two-point conversion himself. That made it 24-24 and required Cleveland to score again before the clock expired. Watson moved the Browns into range, and Szmyt’s second fourth-quarter field goal settled the game.
What the result means for Cleveland and Pittsburgh
The Browns had trailed, led by 14 points and then lost that lead before winning on the last drive. Their third consecutive victory put them in first place in the AFC North after the game, according to the Steelers’ report. Pittsburgh reached 2-2 despite its late rally; the Steelers’ account says the loss was their fourth consecutive Thursday defeat and fifth straight at Cleveland’s stadium.
Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward pointed to Pittsburgh’s execution. ‘Self-inflicted wounds,’ he told the Steelers’ Brian Batko. ‘Execution was not high today. We had penalties. But I'm not going to make excuses. They got the job done on their side.’ Rodgers also acknowledged missed chances, saying he had missed ‘a couple throws I usually hit.’
The Browns’ official recap identifies their three second-quarter touchdowns and final possession as the decisive stretches. It also records a difficult opening defensive series, when Cleveland was penalized five times as Pittsburgh drove 73 yards for the first touchdown. Cleveland’s response began with Ward’s interception and continued through Szmyt’s late kick and Delpit’s interception.
Cleveland’s next listed game is away to the New York Jets on Oct. 11, according to the Browns’ recap. For now, Thursday’s result leaves the Browns at 3-1 and the Steelers at 2-2, with Szmyt’s 56-yard field goal the difference after Pittsburgh had erased the lead.
Sources and context
- Browns 27, Steelers 24 | Final Score, Stats & Game RecapCleveland Browns
- Steelers edged by Browns, 27-24Pittsburgh Steelers
- Browns vs. Steelers final score, analysis: Cleveland survives Aaron Rodgers-led comeback on late field goalCBS Sports
- Thursday Night Football: Deshaun Watson leads Browns to 27-24 win over SteelersNBC Sports / ProFootballTalk
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
About NewsJaws Desk
AI-assisted reporting and explainers reviewed against the linked source documents. No claim of on-scene reporting or original interviews.