Deshaun Watson completed 14 of 17 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown, guiding the Cleveland Browns to a 21-10 halftime lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football on October 1, 2026.
Watson closed the half with a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harold Fannin with 1:22 remaining before the break.
The quarterback has now thrown five touchdown passes without an interception since a difficult season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to NBC Sports.
Cleveland overcame a quiet start to mount scoring drives of 56, 74, and 62 yards, converting both of its red-zone opportunities.
Running back Jaleel McLaughlin turned cornerback Denzel Ward's interception of Aaron Rodgers into a 28-yard touchdown run, while Quinshon Judkins added a 2-yard rushing score.
Rookie wideouts paced the Browns' receiving corps in the first half.
Denzel Boston recorded three receptions for 74 yards, and KC Concepcion caught four passes for 58 yards as Cleveland outgained Pittsburgh 222 to 185 in total yards.
Pittsburgh reached the Cleveland 13-yard line late in the half but settled for a 31-yard field goal from Chris Boswell with eight seconds left.
Boswell had missed a 48-yard attempt wide left earlier in the second quarter.
Rodgers completed 12 of 21 passes for 138 yards, throwing a 12-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson along with one interception.
Cleveland's defense sacked Rodgers twice and recorded four quarterback hits in the opening two quarters.
The strong offensive showing follows Cleveland's 21-18 victory over the Carolina Panthers on September 27, 2026, as reported by CBS Sports.
Kicker Andre Szmyt made field goals from 45 and 48 yards in that game, remaining perfect at 6-of-6 on field goals and 4-of-4 on extra points through the team's first three regular-season games.
