The Pittsburgh Steelers have high hopes of dominating the AFC North, and they appear to have an excellent chance of achieving that goal. The rested Steelers defeated the travel-weary Cleveland Browns 23-9 in Week 6, and they improved their record to 4-1. They have a significant lead in the division over the Cincinnati Bengals, the slumping Baltimore Ravens and the Browns.
Steelers WR DK Metcalf on why his connection with Aaron Rodgers is so good pic.twitter.com/l6fmxUMBW7
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) October 12, 2025
The Steelers were facing one of the strongest defenses in the league, but the Browns are rarely able to mount an offense that can threaten their opponents. That was once again the case as the Steelers limited rookie QB Dillon Gabriel and the Cleveland offense to 3 field goals.
The Steelers were held to 3 field goals in the first half, but the combination of QB Aaron Rodgers throwing to star wide receiver DK Metcalf was too much for the Browns in the second half. The Steelers extended a 16-6 third quarter lead to 23-6 on the first play of the fourth quarter when Rodgers threw a 25-yard TD pass to Metcalf.
Rodgers completed 21 of 30 passes for 235 yards and he threw 2 touchdown passes while keeping it clean on the interception side of the ledger. The Pittsburgh offensive line protected the Steelers quarterback perfectly as Rodgers was not sacked once. Metcalf caught 4 passes for 95 yards and was the most dangerous receiver on the field.
Metcalf explained how his connection with Rodgers is growing
Metcalf and Rodgers are both in their first seasons with the Steelers and they are still learning about each other. Their connection seems to be growing stronger each game.
“The offensive line is doing a great job,” Metcalf said. “Our timing is getting better each day in practice and we are both on the same page. We talk about the coverage I am going to receive, so we both know what to expect.”
It's clear that the biggest difference in the game was the performance of the offensive lines. While the Steelers registered six sacks of Gabriel for 38 yards in losses, the Browns could not get to Rodgers despite the presence of superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett.
The Steelers will try to continue their winning ways Thursday night when they travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals.
