The Cleveland Browns entered Week 17 knowing that it could shake up the AFC North division by taking down the Pittsburgh Steelers. And while they weren’t given much of a shot to do that, they ended up pulling out a shocking 13-6 victory on Sunday afternoon, ensuring that the division would be decided in Week 18 when the Steelers square off against the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh’s offense had nothing going all day long, and while it came close to scoring a potential game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the team stalled out at Cleveland’s seven-yard line. With the game on the line, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw at Browns’ star cornerback Denzel Ward on three straight plays, and after the game, the Pro Bowl defender made his thoughts clear on that decision.
Denzel Ward Calls Out Steelers After Browns’ Big Win
With this win, the Browns pushed their record to 4-12 on the season, and that should tell you just how things have gone this year. Cleveland has struggled to get much of anything right on the offensive side of the ball, but defensively, it has been one of the best units in the league. Ward has played a big role in leading the secondary, and he showed off his skills on Sunday.
Cleveland led pretty much the entire way in this one, but Pittsburgh stormed down the field late in an effort to tie the game and send it to overtime. As noted above, they made it deep in the red zone before stalling out, as Rodgers threw three straight incompletions for Marquez Valdes-Scantling, with Ward being in coverage on all three plays.
Ward has earned a reputation for being one of the best cover corners in the league, and he showed just why during this three-play stretch, as Valdes-Scantling struggled to create any sort of separation from him. After the game, Ward made sure to rub some salt in the Steelers’ open wounds, as he called out the team for challenging him on three straight plays to end the game.
“I’m always just prepared and ready for moments like that,” Ward said after the game. “I just try to make it hard on teams every time … I don’t know whose bright idea it was to try me for the game on three plays in a row, but we was able to come through and get the win.”
Browns Looking to End 2025 Campaign on a High Note
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
While Cleveland didn’t look great on offense in this one, they appear to have some positive momentum that they can carry into the upcoming season. Since Shedeur Sanders took over under center, the Browns have won a pair of games, while also playing the Buffalo Bills quite tough in Week 16. As a result, he could conceivably be their starter to begin the 2026 season.
Before the team can turn its attention to next year, though, it will have to finish up the 2025 campaign with one more game in Week 18. Cleveland will draw a tough matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, although there will be nothing for either side to play for, as both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. Once this game wraps up, another important offseason of work will officially get underway.
Browns’ Denzel Ward Takes Shot at Aaron Rodgers Steelers After Upset Win