3 Takeaways from Browns' Week 11 Win vs. Steelers

It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't decisive, but the Cleveland Browns picked up a huge Week 11 win by outlasting the Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 on Sunday.

The Browns dominated the Steelers while building a 10-0 halftime lead, but things flipped in the second half. Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Browns offense went cold, and Pittsburgh tied the game midway through the fourth quarter.

This was exactly the sort of game we've seen Pittsburgh win time and time again this season. Only this time, it was Thompson-Robinson and the Browns who made enough clutch plays at the end to win.

Dustin Hopkins' kicked a go-ahead 34-yard field goal with just two seconds remaining, and Cleveland moved to 7-3 for the first time since 2020.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Browns' Week 11 win over the Steelers.

Cleveland might have gotten off to an even hotter start had head coach Kevin Stefanski been quicker with the challenge flag.

On Pittsburgh's first offensive play, Myles Garrett sacked Kenny Pickett at the edge of the end zone. He was ruled down at the 1-yard line, but replay clearly showed that it should have been a safety. Stefanski wasn't fast enough with the challenge flag.

"Stefanski challenged the safety, but it was too late," Hayden Grove of Cleveland.com posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "He threw the flag down just as Pittsburgh snapped the ball."

Later in the game, Stefanski challenged the spot on Pickett's fourth-down sneak when replay pretty clearly showed that Pickett had picked up the first.

Stefanski did have a successful challenge that resulted in a first-quarter touchdown by Jerome Ford, but he flat-out missed on two of three opportunities. That would probably stand out a lot more had Cleveland lost.

Regardless, the Browns need to find a better support system for challenges—be it more replay assistants or a better communication system—moving forward. With Deshaun Watson out for the year, Cleveland is likely to face a lot of close games, and they have to limit missed opportunities.

The Browns named Thompson-Robinson the starter after news broke that Watson would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. It was the fifth-round rookie's second start, and his first—against the rival Baltimore Ravens—was a disaster.

The UCLA product played better after a full week of preparation than he did against the Raven. However, he was far from perfect. He finished the game just 24-of-43 for 165 yards and an interception—though the pick did come off a pass that was batted into the air.

However, when the Browns needed Tompson-Robinson the most, he delivered in a big way.

Cleveland took over with a minute and 18 seconds left in regulation on its own 35-yard line. Thompson-Robinson then went a perfect 4-of-4 for 39 yards, helping move Hopkins into field-goal range.

Interestingly, Thompson-Robinson's game-winning drive was one of the only points in the game in which he was asked to push the ball down the field. It was a great way for the rookie to end an otherwise up-and-down game and a sign that as Thompson-Robinson grows more comfortable as the starter, Cleveland can open up its offense too.

The Browns bested their division rivals thanks to tremendous defense—Pittsburgh had just 77 net passing yards and went 3-of-14 on third downs—and Thompson-Robinson's late-game heroics.

However, this formula isn't going to work every week over the second half of the season. Stefanski called too conservative of a game plan against Pittsburgh, and it nearly cost Cleveland.

The Browns leaned heavily on their running game, short passes and screens. Before the final drive, the majority of Thompson-Robinson's throws were at, behind or just over the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh adjusted, sat on the short stuff and stymied the Browns in the second half.

Presumably, the plan was to give Thompson-Robinson easy looks, get the ball out quickly and avoid turnovers. With a rookie quarterback and against T.J. Watt and the Steelers pass rush, that makes sense. However, the Browns have to be willing to be more aggressive offensively, or else future opponents like the Denver Broncos (on tap for Week 12) will load the box, protect the perimeter and force Thompson-Robinson to consistently beat them deep.