The Cleveland Browns made it clear on Thursday night that they could be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of this season. An inspirational 27-24 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers served notice that things are changing in Cleveland.
With three wins in a row, the Browns are in first place in the AFC North. They could be there by themselves for the first time in more than a decade, pending the results of the rest of Week 4.
The Browns are 3-1 for the first time since 2001, and defensive end Jared Verse is sending a warning message to the rest of the league that it’s time to take them seriously.
“This ain’t the old Browns. It’s got new swag, we a lot more aggressive. We a lot more gettin’ after it. This is something different here. We gonna make this whole city rock,” Ashly Holder posted.
#Browns Jared Verse on the message the Browns are sending around the league after a 3-1 start:
“This ain’t the old Browns, we got new swag, we a lot more aggressive. We’re getting after it. This is something different here, and we going make this whole city rock.” pic.twitter.com/mCUX21tSIT
— Ashly Holder (@AshNoelleTV) October 2, 2026
Cleveland needed another fourth-quarter score to extend its winning streak. After Pittsburgh rallied to tie the game, Andre Szmyt kicked a career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left for the victory.
As he had in the previous two games, quarterback Deshaun Watson led the offense on a late drive. This time, he went 4-for-5 for 46 yards, including two completions to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who made his first mark on this season.
Watson’s renaissance is the main reason that the Browns have defied all of the preseason predictions about them. He had 181 yards passing in the first half, when Cleveland built a 21-10 lead.
Verse still does not have a sack this season, and he managed just two tackles against the Steelers while also committing some crucial penalties. But he was noticeable throughout, especially with his emotional play that was part of a very intense rivalry game.
The Browns have taken on the personality of head coach Todd Monken, who made it clear that no one would disrespect his team after Mike Tomlin mocked them following their season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That bonded the locker room and led to victories against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and now the hated Steelers, Tomlin’s former team.
The Browns will try to keep up that swag as they have some extra time off before visiting the New York Jets in Week 5, looking for their fourth win in a row.
NEXT: Chad Johnson Calls Out Browns Doubters After Thursday's Win
