Aaron Rodgers can't rally Steelers to division title, falling to Browns
Shedeur Sanders does just enough to give Cleveland an upset win over Pittsburgh in a critical divisional game.
Aaron Rodgers has been sacked more times — 596, coming into Sunday — than any player in NFL history. But on Sunday, he was determined not to be a victim of one specific, notable sack from one specific, notable defender: Myles Garrett, just one sack away from the single-season record.
Rodgers avoided becoming a Garrett trophy, but that was about all that tipped in the Steelers’ favor in a tense, grimy 13-6 loss to the Browns. The loss prevented Pittsburgh from clinching its first division title since 2020, and set up an all-or-nothing battle for the AFC North with Baltimore in Week 18.
From the Cleveland side, Garrett’s pursuit of the sack record was the only real compelling element of the latest installment of the Turnpike Rivalry. Yes, Cleveland has had tremendous success at home against Pittsburgh lately — the Browns are 5-1-1 against the Steelers in their last seven home games — but the Browns’ season has been over for weeks. Sunday’s game was about Garrett, and pride, and another look at Shedeur Sanders in the quarterback role.
The Steelers had much more at stake — specifically, a division title — and were more than happy to take advantage of Sanders’ uncertainty and poor decisionmaking. While Sanders moved the ball well enough in wicked conditions early, staking Cleveland to a 10-0 lead, the Steelers snuffed out later drives with two interceptions of poorly-thrown passes.
The problem for Pittsburgh was that Rodgers and the Steelers couldn’t take advantage of the Browns’ self-inflicted wounds. The Steelers could manage only two field goals through the first three-plus quarters. The two Sanders interceptions resulted in exactly zero points for Pittsburgh. Against Cleveland’s league-leading passing defense, Rodgers could only manage an anemic 168 yards, 58 of them coming in the final desperate drive, and the Browns were able to grind the Steelers’ ground game into the turf.
With 2:16 remaining and down four points, the Steelers began a drive that, in theory, is why they brought Rodgers to Pittsburgh. The man has managed more than a few last-minute, Hail-Mary drives in his career, after all. But Rodgers never looked comfortable in the pocket on his first attempt at a game-winning drive, throwing four straight incomplete passes and turning the ball over on downs.
Cleveland turned the short field into a field goal, forcing Rodgers to go the entire field in 1:40 just to tie the game. And on this final drive, Rodgers finally, briefly, looked like the Rodgers of old, marching Pittsburgh all the way down to the Cleveland 10 with 32 seconds remaining. But with the game, and a division title, on the line, the Steelers couldn’t close the deal.
Pittsburgh now must face Baltimore at home, with the AFC North title at stake.
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