CLEVELAND, Ohio — Myles Garrett didn’t set the NFL single-season sack record Sunday, but the Browns got the next best thing: They prevented the Steelers from clinching the AFC North on their turf with a 13-6 win.

The Browns improved to 4-12, and the Steelers fell to 9-7. Pittsburgh now will need to beat the 8-8 Ravens at home next week in a winner-take-all battle for the AFC North title. The loser goes home.

Garrett will have one last shot at the record next weekend in Cincinnati in the season finale.

Chants of “Myles Garrett! Myles Garrett!” rang out at Huntington Bank Field as quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers took the ball trailing 10-6 with 2:16 left in the game.

Garrett pumped up the crowd with his hands, and the crowd was electric.

Rodgers couldn’t pull it off on that drive, but got the ball back with 1:40 left and no timeouts left, and had a chance to pull out the victory.

He hit passes of 15 and 29 yards, the latter to Pat Freiermuth to the Browns’ 21. But Denzel Ward broke up three straight passes in the end zone to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the last one on fourth and 7 to preserve the victory.

But Rodgers, under heavy pressure from Garrett, Shelby Harris and others, threw four straight incompletions, including a pass batted down by Harris on fourth and 10 from the 20.

The Browns had a video all cued up and ready to go for Garrett’s record, and a party ready to break out on the lakefront.

Garrett headed into the game needing just one sack to break the record of 22.5 set by the Giants’ Michael Strahan in 2001 and tied by Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt in 2021.

Garrett came close a couple of times through the first three quarters, but Rodgers released the ball just in the nick of time.

After Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was short on a 53-yard field goal attempt with 12:53 left in the game to keep the Browns ahead 10-6, Shedeur Sanders was picked off for the second time in the game on the ensuing drive. Buying himself some time in the pocket by shifting to his right, he threw the ball up for Jerry Jeudy and was picked off by safety Kyle Duggar.

For the second time in the game, the Steelers, who started at their 34, were unable to cash in on a Sanders pick thanks to some excellent defense.

Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell kicked off the drive with a 15-yard run, but left tackle Dylan Cook false-started on third and 1 to thwart the drive. Under heavy pressure from Garrett, Rodgers threw incomplete to Freiermuth on third down.

The Steelers had another chance to go ahead with 7:03 left, but the Browns defense forced a three-and-out. But the Browns started at their 10 on the next drive, and Raheim Sanders was stopped for no gain to force a punt.

The Steelers missed receiver D.K. Metcalf, who was suspended for the final two games of the season for an altercation with a fan in Detroit. They also then lost tight end Darnell Washington to a forearm injury during the game. They were already without receiver Calvin Austin, and Rodgers, who was determined not to let Garrett set the sack record on him, was unable to generate much of a passing game.

Sanders got off to a great start in the game with a field goal drive to make it 3-0 and a 28-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin Jr., who left the game after that fine catch with an aggravation of his groin injury.

The Browns also were without running back Quinshon Judkins, who’s out for the season with ankle and foot surgery after suffering the injury in last week’s loss to Buffalo.

Sanders finished 17 of 23 passing for 186 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown. His passer rating was 75.6.

Rodgers went 21 of 39 for 168 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished with a rating of 64.9.

Steelers pull to within 10-6 as time expires in the half

Rodgers took over at his 22 with 1:51 left in the half and put a field goal on the board, a 40-yarder by Boswell as time expired to pull within 10-6 as time expired in the half. Rodgers completed passes of 23 yards to Freiermuth and 12 to Adam Thielen on the drive.

Sanders finished the half 12 of 17 for 164 yards with one TD and one INT for a 96.2 rating

Steelers can’t cash in on Sanders’ pick

Sanders was picked off by former Ohio State standout Jack Sawyer with 4:55 left in the half on a pass that went off Logan Lee’s helmet after Alex Highsmith drilled Sanders upon release.

Sawyer returned the ball 27 yards to the Browns’ 31, but the Steelers couldn’t cash in, thanks to a relentless Browns defense and a curious decision by the Steelers.

After Rodgers scrambled up the middle for 6 yards on a third and 7, he threw incomplete for Scotty Miller on the left side of the end zone, placing it just out of Miller’s reach. The Browns took over on downs at their 22, and Nick Herbig dropped a near-pick on the first play. The Browns went three-and-out.

Steelers close to within 10-3

The Steelers pulled to within 10-3 on a 44-yard field goal by Chris Boswell 14:54 left in the half. The Steelers had a 31-yard pass to Miller wiped out by what looked to be a bogus pass interference call against receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. But the Browns gave back some of those yards on a 15-yard taunting call by Rayshawn Jenkins. Connor Heyward then caught the Browns off guard by taking a direct snap and bolting 29 yards up the right sideline to the Browns 22. Devin Bush dropped Kenneth Gainwell for a 7-yard loss, and then he dropped the third down pass.

The Browns had a chance to increase their lead on the next drive, but Sanders’ pass to first-year tight end Sal Cannella on fourth and 6 was out of reach. Harold Fannin Jr. was on the sidelines with his groin injury at the time. The Steelers took over on downs at their 34, but went four-and-out. Tyson Campbell broke up a clutch third-down pass to Adam Thielen.

Sanders to Fannin for a 28-yardTD, but Fannin aggravates groin injury

Sanders made a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw to Cedric Tillman for 42 yards to the Steelers’ 44, and Trayvon Williams ran for 9 yards to convert a third down, and then Sanders made a slightly underthrown pass to Fannin on the right side of the end zone, and he adjusted well for a 28-yard TD catch. It extended the Browns lead to 10-0 with 5:11 left in the first quarter, but Fannin aggravated his groin injury on the play and came up limping. He went to the medical tent, and soon walked slowly to the locker room and was questionable to return.

But it was a beautiful touchdown drive by Sanders, and an excellent catch by Fannin.

Sanders finished the first quarter 5 of 7 for 101 yards with 1 TD and 0 INT for a 153.3 rating.

Browns take a 3-0 lead

The Browns won the toss and elected to receive, and Andre Szmyt kicked a 50-yard field goal to open the scoring with 10:48 left in the first quarter. Sanders slipped away from a Malik Harrison sack attempt and found tight end Brenden Bates for a 19-yard gain to the Steelers’ 48. He then found Jerry Jeudy for 10 yards in traffic on a third and 7 to the Steelers 25.

Next

The Browns close out the season next weekend in Cincinnati.

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