Game preview

Browns @ Steelers

Week 8 · 2026

The Browns beat the Steelers in Week 4 and have lost 22 straight regular season games in Pittsburgh.

FanIQ Research · October 30, 2026 · 4 facts, every one from the play-by-play

The Browns beat Pittsburgh a month ago. They have lost 22 straight there

Storyline

Cleveland has not won a regular season game in Pittsburgh since Week 5 of 2003, a 33-13 win: it has lost 22 straight there since, outscored 606 to 318, the longest run of road losses by any team at one opponent in regular season games since 1999. Its one win in Pittsburgh in that span came in the playoffs, 48-37 in the Wild Card round after the 2020 season. This time the Browns arrive having won the last two meetings, 13-6 in Week 17 of 2025 and 27-24 on a Thursday night in Week 4, when Andre Szmyt kicked a 56-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. Both teams are 5-2, Cincinnati is 4-2 and Baltimore 4-3, so the winner leaves Sunday alone in first place in the AFC North, and the question is whether Cleveland's narrow wins can travel to the one road stop where Cleveland has lost every regular season game for 22 years.

Longest regular season road losing streaks at one opponent, games since 1999

Rank	Visitor	At	Losses	From	Through	Status
1	CLE	PIT	22	2004	2025	Active
2	DET	GB	16	1999	2014	Ended
3	NYJ	NE	14	2009	2022	Ended
4	BUF	NE	13	2001	2013	Ended
4	HOU	IND	13	2002	2014	Ended
6	DET	MIN	12	1999	2010	Ended
6	NYG	PHI	12	2014	2025	Active

Cleveland in Pittsburgh since 1999

Games	Result	Points, CLE to PIT
1999 Week 10	W 16-15	16 to 15
2003 Week 5	W 33-13	33 to 13
2004 Week 5 to 2025 Week 6, 22 games	0-22	318 to 606
2020 season Wild Card (playoffs)	W 48-37	48 to 37

The last five meetings

Season	Game	Result
2024	Week 12 in Cleveland	CLE 24, PIT 19
2024	Week 14 in Pittsburgh	PIT 27, CLE 14
2025	Week 6 in Pittsburgh	PIT 23, CLE 9
2025	Week 17 in Cleveland	CLE 13, PIT 6
2026	Week 4 in Cleveland	CLE 27, PIT 24

Both teams won by six points or fewer last week. Cleveland beat Tennessee 27-24 on a 32-yard Szmyt kick with three seconds left and gained plus 0.147 expected points per play, 12th of the 28 teams that played, after minus 0.190 and 31st across 2025. Pittsburgh beat New Orleans 16-10 in Paris with plus 0.123, 13th, after plus 0.026 and 15th in 2025. Through Week 7 the two offenses rank 26th and 25th, so one good week each sits beside a larger, weaker sample.

Offensive EPA per play, three windows

Unit	Window	Plays	EPA per play	Rank
CLE offense	2026 Week 7 at TEN	66	+0.147	12 of 28
CLE offense	2026 Weeks 1 to 7	415	-0.050	26 of 32
CLE offense	2025 regular season	1028	-0.190	31 of 32
PIT offense	2026 Week 7 vs NO	61	+0.123	13 of 28
PIT offense	2026 Weeks 1 to 7	436	-0.048	25 of 32
PIT offense	2025 regular season	975	+0.026	15 of 32

Why it matters. Pittsburgh's home record against Cleveland is the most lopsided road series in the league since 1999, and the Browns have not won there in the regular season since 2003. The two most recent meetings both went to Cleveland, but both were in Cleveland, so Sunday tests whether that turn in the series carries to Pittsburgh. With both teams 5-2 and neither offense above 25th through Week 7, first place in the division goes to whichever side wins the collisions below.

Watson has been sacked more than anyone. Watt is waiting

What to watch

Deshaun Watson has been sacked 25 times, the most in the league, on 10.5 percent of dropbacks, also the highest rate. The sacks sort Cleveland's season: in the four games where he went down twice or fewer, the Browns won all four and gained positive expected points per dropback each time, and in the three where he went down five or more, they lost two and were negative in all three. Last week at Tennessee he was sacked once on 37 dropbacks and threw for 308 yards, his most this season, after 24 sacks on 200 dropbacks in Weeks 1 to 6 and an 8.4 percent rate for Cleveland in 2025. Pittsburgh's rush is 13th by rate at 7.0 percent, T.J. Watt's 5.5 sacks are tied for fifth in the league, and in Week 4 Watt had a sack and forced and recovered a Watson fumble.

The Week 8 injury report lists Browns tackle Tytus Howard as not practicing with a concussion and center Elgton Jenkins as limited with a knee injury. If Watson is sacked on either of Cleveland's first two possessions, the Browns are in the kind of game they have lost twice; if he is clean through the first quarter, they are in the kind they have won four times.

Highest sack rate allowed, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7

Rank of 32	Offense	Dropbacks	Sacks	Rate
1	CLE	237	25	10.5%
2	LAC	201	21	10.4%
3	MIN	182	18	9.9%
4	TB	227	22	9.7%
5	MIA	167	16	9.6%
9	PIT	285	22	7.7%

Cleveland's passing game by game, 2026

Week	Opponent	Result	Dropbacks	Sacks	EPA per dropback
1	at JAX	L 10-34	27	5	-0.364
2	at TB	W 23-19	32	2	+0.324
3	vs CAR	W 21-18	34	2	+0.063
4	vs PIT	W 27-24	35	2	+0.262
5	at NYJ	L 12-17	41	8	-0.304
6	vs BAL	W 13-10	31	5	-0.222
7	at TEN	W 27-24	37	1	+0.061

Pass rush, both defenses, sacks per dropback

Defense	2026 Weeks 1 to 7	Rank of 32	2025 regular season	2025 rank
PIT	18 on 257, 7.0%	13	48 on 661, 7.3%	11
CLE	20 on 257, 7.8%	6	53 on 540, 9.8%	3

Sack leaders, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7

Rank	Player	Team	Sacks
1	Will Anderson Jr.	HOU	7.5
2	Chase Young	NO	7.0
3	Dallas Turner	MIN	6.0
3	Greg Rousseau	BUF	6.0
5	T.J. Watt	PIT	5.5
5	David Bailey	NYJ	5.5
5	Elijah Ponder	NE	5.5
5	Carl Granderson	NO	5.5

Why it matters. Cleveland's passing game has been efficient when Watson stays upright and has gone negative every time he has been sacked five or more times, so the sack count is close to a direct read on the Browns' offense. Pittsburgh's rush is middle of the pack by rate, which makes this a test of the league's leakiest protection against an ordinary rush with one elite rusher. Week 7's one sack on 37 dropbacks is a single game set against 24 in the six before it.

Pittsburgh runs better than all but three teams. Cleveland's run defense is 17th

What to watch

Pittsburgh's steadiest weapon has been the run: plus 0.075 expected points per carry, fourth of 32, at 5.0 yards a carry, after 10th in 2025. Jaylen Warren has 561 yards, seventh in the league, at 5.5 a carry, and ran 17 times for 93 yards against Cleveland in Week 4. Last week Pittsburgh ran 28 times for 150 yards, plus 0.194 per carry. Cleveland's run defense ranks 17th at minus 0.052 per carry and 4.54 yards a carry, after fifth in 2025, and Tennessee ran 30 times for 141 yards against it last week, though at minus 0.137 per carry.

Cleveland's own run game had its best week at Tennessee, plus 0.256 per carry, third of 28, with Quinshon Judkins at 17 for 96 and two touchdowns; across Weeks 1 to 6 it was minus 0.153, 28th, and Pittsburgh's run defense ranks 14th. If Warren is past five yards a carry at halftime, Rodgers is throwing on the short downs that keep a five-sack rush honest; if Cleveland holds him near four, Pittsburgh is back to dropping back into it.

Run offense, EPA per carry, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7

Rank of 32	Offense	Carries	Yards per carry	EPA per carry
1	BUF	168	5.36	+0.156
2	KC	155	5.53	+0.125
3	SF	184	4.89	+0.095
4	PIT	151	5.00	+0.075
5	TB	205	5.03	+0.056
21	CLE	178	4.23	-0.086

Both run units, two windows

Unit	Window	Carries	Yards per carry	EPA per carry	Rank of 32
PIT offense	2026 Weeks 1 to 7	151	5.00	+0.075	4
PIT offense	2025 regular season	395	4.47	+0.019	10
CLE defense	2026 Weeks 1 to 7	181	4.54	-0.052	17
CLE defense	2025 regular season	454	4.40	-0.053	5
PIT defense	2026 Weeks 1 to 7	166	3.87	-0.061	14

Pittsburgh's run game by game, 2026

Week	Team runs	Yards	EPA per carry	Jaylen Warren
1	18	61	-0.252	10 for 46
2	23	91	-0.087	11 for 43
3	21	140	+0.127	17 for 127
4 at CLE	20	94	+0.112	17 for 93
5	20	129	+0.419	15 for 101
6	21	90	-0.044	14 for 50
7	28	150	+0.194	18 for 101

Rushing yards leaders, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7

Rank	Player	Team	Carries	Yards	Per carry
1	Bijan Robinson	ATL	131	704	5.37
2	Kenneth Walker III	KC	120	701	5.84
3	James Cook	BUF	117	627	5.36
4	Jahmyr Gibbs	DET	134	620	4.63
5	Jonathan Taylor	IND	140	587	4.19
6	Derrick Henry	BAL	147	579	3.94
7	Jaylen Warren	PIT	102	561	5.50

Why it matters. Pittsburgh's passing game ranks 26th, so its top five run game is what keeps Rodgers out of long-yardage dropbacks behind a line that has allowed 22 sacks. Cleveland's run defense was fifth in 2025 and has been average in 2026, so this is a strength against a middling unit. Week 7's 150 yards is one game; the seven-week rank is the steadier number.

Five Browns wins by 16 total points. Pittsburgh closes fourth quarters

What to watch

Cleveland is 5-0 in games decided by four points or fewer and has won its five games by a combined 16 points, which is how it is 5-2 while being outscored by 13, the only five-win team with a negative point differential through Week 7. Three of those wins ended on Andre Szmyt field goals in the final 15 seconds of a tied game: 56 yards against Pittsburgh, 37 as time expired against Baltimore, 32 at Tennessee. Pittsburgh has outscored opponents 53 to 29 in fourth quarters, plus 24 and fifth in the league, and came from 21-10 down in Week 4 to tie Cleveland at 24 with 1:46 left.

No kicker since 1999 had three such kicks that early in a season; the next earliest third came in Week 9, by Younghoe Koo in 2021, and Chris Boswell, Sunday's kicker on the other side, had three across 2017. Nine teams since 1999 started 5-2 with a negative point differential, four of them made the playoffs, and one was the 2020 Browns, who won that Wild Card game in Pittsburgh. If the game is within a score entering the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh's fourth quarter margin meets Cleveland's 5-0 record in close games; if it is tied in the final two minutes, Szmyt has broken three ties in the final 15 seconds already.

Fourth quarter scoring margin, 2026 Weeks 1 to 7 (overtime excluded)

Rank of 32	Team	Games	Scored	Allowed	Margin
1	MIN	6	54	3	+51
2	SEA	7	59	30	+29
3	DAL	7	62	34	+28
3	LV	7	75	47	+28
5	PIT	7	53	29	+24
11	CLE	7	57	46	+11

Winning field goals in the final 15 seconds, kicking team tied or down two or fewer, three or more in a season, since 1999

Kicker	Team	Season	Kicks	Weeks
Ryan Longwell	GB	2004	4	10, 11, 14, 16
Josh Brown	SEA	2006	4	1, 6, 10, 13
Paul Edinger	MIN	2005	3	7, 10, 11
Chris Boswell	PIT	2017	3	10, 12, 13
Sebastian Janikowski	SEA	2018	3	4, 12, 17
Younghoe Koo	ATL	2021	3	3, 7, 9
Tyler Bass	BUF	2022	3	4, 12, 15
Wil Lutz	DEN	2025	3	7, 9, 11
Andre Szmyt	CLE	2026	3	4, 6, 7

Score after three quarters and final, 2026

Week	Cleveland	Pittsburgh
1	at JAX: 3-34, lost 10-34	vs ATL: 13-10, won 20-13
2	at TB: 16-16, won 23-19	at NE: 3-13, lost 3-20
3	vs CAR: 10-9, won 21-18	vs CIN: 24-20, won 30-27
4	vs PIT: 21-10, won 27-24	at CLE: 10-21, lost 24-27
5	at NYJ: 6-7, lost 12-17	vs IND: 24-19, won 34-22
6	vs BAL: 3-10, won 13-10	at TB: 3-16, won 26-19 in OT
7	at TEN: 17-14, won 27-24	vs NO: 16-10, won 16-10

Teams 5-2 or better after seven games with a negative point differential, since 1999

Season	Team	Differential after 7	Final record	Playoffs
2004	ATL	-13	11-5	Yes
2004	JAX	-4	9-7	No
2007	DET	-22	7-9	No
2010	TB	-27	10-6	No
2020	BUF	-4	13-3	Yes
2020	CHI	-2	8-8	Yes
2020	CLE	-21	11-5	Yes
2022	TEN	-6	7-10	No
2025	TB	-1	8-9	No
2026	CLE	-13	5-2 so far	-

Why it matters. Cleveland's record rests on close finishes and a kicker who has been perfect when the game was tied at the end, which is a real strength and also the thinnest margin in the division. Pittsburgh has been one of the league's better fourth quarter teams and erased an 11-point fourth quarter deficit against this opponent in Week 4 before losing on the final kick. History splits on teams that win this way: four of nine made the playoffs.

FanIQ answers any NFL stats question with receipts, on your phone.

Get FanIQ free Get it on Google Play

Rank of 32	Team	Games	Scored	Allowed	Margin
1	MIN	6	54	3	+51
2	SEA	7	59	30	+29
3	DAL	7	62	34	+28
3	LV	7	75	47	+28
5	PIT	7	53	29	+24
11	CLE	7	57	46	+11

Rank of 32	Team	Games	Scored	Allowed	Margin
1	MIN	6	54	3	+51
2	SEA	7	59	30	+29
3	DAL	7	62	34	+28
3	LV	7	75	47	+28
5	PIT	7	53	29	+24
11	CLE	7	57	46	+11

Browns @ Steelers

The Browns beat Pittsburgh a month ago. They have lost 22 straight there

Watson has been sacked more than anyone. Watt is waiting

Pittsburgh runs better than all but three teams. Cleveland's run defense is 17th

Five Browns wins by 16 total points. Pittsburgh closes fourth quarters

One law a week, in your inbox

Rank of 32	Team	Games	Scored	Allowed	Margin
1	MIN	6	54	3	+51
2	SEA	7	59	30	+29
3	DAL	7	62	34	+28
3	LV	7	75	47	+28
5	PIT	7	53	29	+24
11	CLE	7	57	46	+11