Jim Wexell

• Gamebook

The "best unit in the AFC North Division" according to Mike Tomlin confounded the Steelers at Huntington Bank Stadium on Sunday and the Browns came away with a 13-6 win.

Ranked the second-best defense in the NFL heading into the weekend, the Browns held the Steelers to 291 yards of total offense and two field goals.

The result sets up a winner-take-all showdown for the division title next weekend when the Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium.

The NFL will set its Week 18 schedule at a later time.

The Steelers played one of their best defensive games of the season in holding the Browns to 262 yards, their second-lowest total allowed this season. They held the Browns to 248 yards in their earlier meeting.

But in spite of keeping the Browns from converting a first down on four fourth-quarter possessions, the Steelers couldn't find the end zone.

Aaron Rodgers made one late foray into Cleveland territory on the Steelers' final drive. Passes of 29 and 11 yards to Pat Freiermuth advanced the Steelers to the Cleveland 10 with 32 seconds remaining. But a 3-yard pass to Adam Thielen was followed by three incompletions to Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the Browns ended up on top of the Steelers in Cleveland.

The Browns scored 10 of their points on their first two possessions.

They capped their first drive with a 50-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt, and increased their lead on the next possession with a 28-yard touchdown pass by rookie quarterback Shadeur Sanders to rookie tight end Harold Fannon.

With 5:11 left in the first quarter, the Browns had a 10-0 lead.

The Steelers cut into the lead early in the second quarter on a 44-yard field goal by Chris Boswell. The key play of the drive occurred when Connor Heyward motioned under center on third-and-1 and ripped off a 29-yard gain around right end to set up the kick, which cut the Steelers' deficit to 10-3 with 14:54 left in the first half.

The Steelers squandered a scoring opportunity midway through the second quarter after outside linebacker Jack Sawyer dropped into coverage and intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 27 yards to the Cleveland 31.

Alex Highsmith hit Sanders while he was throwing and the ball bounced off the helmet of defensive lineman Logan Lee and into Sawyer's hands. But with big tight end Darnell Washington out of the game, on fourth-and-1 Rodgers' deep pass to Scotty Miller fell incomplete to give the ball back to the Browns at their 22.

The Steelers forced a punt, and Boswell finished the half with his second field goal of the quarter. He knocked a 40-yarder through the uprights with no time left to cut the Steelers' deficit to 10-6, their first halftime deficit in seven games.

The key play of the field goal drive was a 23-yard pass from Rodgers to Freiermuth that gave the Steelers a first down at the Cleveland 28 with 18 seconds left in the half.

The Steelers continued to struggle on offense throughout the second half.

A 13-yard run by Jaylen Warren moved the Steelers to the Cleveland 27 on the last play of the third quarter, but a sack of Rodgers on third down set up a missed 54-yard field goal attempt with 12:53 left as the Browns held their 10-6 lead.

An interception of Sanders by Kyle Dugger gave the Steelers the ball at their own 34 with 12:02 remaining, but after a 15-yard run by Kenneth Gainwell the offense stalled again.

Punter Corliss Waitman pinned the Browns back at their 12, and another Browns punt, followed by Miller's 25-yard return, set up the Steelers at their own 43 with 7:03 remaining. But, again, the Steelers were forced to punt and the Browns gained possession at their 10 with 4:54 remaining.

The Browns punted again and the Steelers took over at their 20 with 2:16 to play, but they couldn't gain a yard in four plays. They turned it over on downs at their own 20 with 1:58 remaining.

The Steelers used their three timeouts and held the Browns to a 33-yard field goal and got the ball back at their 35 with 1:40 remaining. The clutch catches by Freiermuth were the final gasp of the Steelers, who stalled at the Cleveland 7 with three incompletions into the end zone.

The Steelers (9-7) were led offensively by Warren's 64 yards on 12 carries to lead all rushers. Freiermuth led all receivers with 63 yards on 3 catches.