Winners and losers from the Browns’ 13-6 win over the Steelers

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns won 13-6 complete nan Steelers connected Sunday, but that’s conscionable what nan scoreboard said.

Here are nan existent winners and losers from nan game:

• Browns’ Kevin Stefanski: ‘I’m privileged to person this job’
• Bengals coach Zac Taylor discusses Myles Garrett’s power arsenic Browns prima nears typical NFL record
• How Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and nan remainder of nan Browns defense graded vs. nan Steelers

Winner: The Warden

A 3-yard walk to Adam Thielen had near nan Steelers pinch 2nd and extremity connected Cleveland’s 7-yard line, pinch 3 much downs to effort to necktie it

Each of those 3 plays, for immoderate reason, was designed for Marquez Valdes-Scantling successful nan backmost of nan extremity zone.

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward was tasked pinch nan Steelers wideout and held his ground, forcing an incompletion each time, including connected nan last play.

Valdes-Scantling felt a pass-interference telephone should’ve been made.

“Went to spell onslaught (Denzel) Ward, sewage a beautiful cleanable release, sewage connected apical of him,” Valdes-Scantling said. “Ball went up, (Ward) did a bully occupation of playing done me. I thought I should’ve sewage a call, but nary telephone was made.”

Ward is still wondering who decided to target him connected 3 consecutive plays, arsenic if he would simply let a touchdown.

“I don’t cognize whose agleam thought it was to effort maine for nan crippled connected 3 plays successful a row,” Ward said.

That is why Ward has earned his 5th profession Pro Bowl nod.

Loser: Risks

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski

The Browns approached a fourth-and-6 from Pittsburgh’s 33-yard line.

They went for it.

Sanders’ walk for Sal Cannella was incomplete and forced a turnover connected downs.

Going for it successful a short-yardage business pinch 1-3 yards needed is understandable. Going for it pinch 7 yards needed successful nan mediate of nan 2nd 4th is an absorbing decision.

It seemed retired of their comfortableness area and unnecessarily forced.

The only different fourth-down walk this play nan rookie Sanders has attempted was successful nan Week 11 nonaccomplishment to Baltimore. An unsuccessful walk to David Njoku connected a fourth-and-6, that would’ve extended their last bid if caught.

And conscionable for comparison, Dillon Gabriel has only completed 2 of his 5 fourth-down passes. Four of those attempts came successful games that were already decided erstwhile thrown.

Stefanski did person kicker Andre Szmyt, who drained nan 50-yarder earlier successful nan game.

We don’t cognize if location was immoderate talk betwixt nan 2 successful respect to worries astir nan wind, since nan section extremity did look nan Dawg Pound section.

But compared to nan fourth-down attempt, Szmyt might’ve been nan amended option.

Shedeur Sanders

Sanders made a bad determination early successful nan 4th quarter.

He retreated somewhat aft realizing location was thing downfield. Yet, Sanders still threw it heavy to Jerry Jeudy, who was tightly covered by nan Steelers’ Kyle Dugger.

The walk was forced, intercepted, and could’ve been prevented.

Four Steelers were charging astatine him, pinch Malik Harrison closest, yet Sanders went for nan jackpot.

When there’s thing there, get free of it. Instead, he gave nan shot backmost to Pittsburgh aft conscionable 2 plays of a drive.

Make that 10 interceptions connected nan play for Sanders.

Winner: Defense

The Browns defense won this game. Period.

It held an discourtesy that was tied for 12th successful points per crippled (24.3) to zero touchdowns.

It kept nan ft connected nan gas.

Aaron Rodgers looked uncomfortable successful nan pocket. The Steelers discourtesy was speedy but discombobulated acknowledgment to Cleveland’s pressure.

The sum was tight. Hands interrupted nan way of Rodgers’ passes.

That was a connection capacity by this defense.

No matter really nan season’s gone aliases whitethorn end, they’ve still sewage it.

Loser: Worrying astir No. 95

The header is not what you think.

Every NFL squad should beryllium worried astir Myles Garrett. He single-handedly changes nan result of a crippled for illustration nary other, a one-man wrecking crew.

The problem is erstwhile your crippled scheme implies you’re much worried astir Garrett than moving nan chains.

Pittsburgh utilized a crippled scheme that’s simply short and sweet: Establish nan tally game, speedy surface passes, and more. On respective occasions, however, Rodgers appeared to propulsion nan shot distant alternatively than astatine a target.

The blockers were doing what they could, including throwing an other blocker astatine Garrett earlier he sewage to an existent lineman. Yet, Rodgers seemed much worried astir Garrett coming for him.

The Steelers said that their gameplan for Garrett (22 sacks), who’s closing successful connected nan all-time single-season sack grounds (22.5), was akin to erstwhile nan teams played successful Week 6.

“We did nan aforesaid point past clip we played them,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “I didn’t deliberation (Garrett) had immoderate sacks successful (Week 6) either. It’s conscionable modular business erstwhile you’re playing these guys and him.”

Something had to beryllium different.

In fact, Rodgers spent little clip successful nan pouch (2.39 seconds) than he did versus Cleveland successful Week 6 (2.73 seconds).

Sure, nan Steelers didn’t extremity up connected nan incorrect broadside of history. But astatine what cost?

Winner: This highlight

Sanders was precise successful nan pouch and delivered nan pass. Harold Fannin Jr. kept his attraction connected nan shot while Kyle Dugger was coming from his unsighted side.

If only Fannin hadn’t reinjured his groin during nan touchdown, we could’ve seen much of this.

Winner: Defending location section

Half of Cleveland’s 12 losses came connected its location turf. The Browns haven’t precisely defended location section this season.

But nan Browns person kept nan Steelers winless connected nan roadworthy for 4 consecutive seasons.

The past clip they successfully defended location section against Pittsburgh 4 seasons successful a statement was betwixt 1990-1993. In 1990, Bud Carson coached nan Browns to a season-opening triumph complete nan Steelers, starring them to 1 of their 3 wins that season.

The feat complete nan pursuing 3 seasons came pinch Bill Belichick astatine nan helm.

Winner: Homage

If you’ve kept up pinch nan wellness struggles of Browns fable Bernie Kosar, past you cognize he needed a liver transplant. He stayed successful nan infirmary during November and awaited a caller transplant for immoderate time.

The transplant yet came from Bryce Dunlap, a 21-year-old Browns instrumentality and organ philanthropist who passed successful mid-November from an anoxic encephalon injury. His parents were fixed nan opportunity to take a imaginable recipient for his liver. They chose Kosar, who’s now doing overmuch better.

On Sunday, nan Browns honored Dunlap’s mother, Kimberly, arsenic nan Dawg Pound skipper and pinch nan pregame guitar smash.

And wouldn’t you cognize it? They won.