The Cleveland Browns didn’t win pretty – but they won loud.

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw the game’s only touchdown and outplayed future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers as the Cleveland Browns pulled off a gritty 13-6 upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field.

In a game dominated by defense and field position, Sanders showed poise well beyond his experience level. The former Jackson State star completed 17 of 23 passes for 186 yards, tossing one touchdown while navigating pressure and turnovers in a controlled, efficient performance. It was another step in Sanders’ steady rise from HBCU standout to NFL headline.

Cleveland struck early and never trailed.

Rookie kicker Andre Szmyt opened the scoring with a 50-yard field goal on the Browns’ first possession. Two drives later, Sanders delivered the decisive blow—connecting with tight end Harold Fannin Jr. on a 28-yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter. That would be the only touchdown scored all afternoon.

Pittsburgh answered with two Chris Boswell field goals – 44 and 40 yards – to cut the deficit to 10-6 late in the second quarter, but the Steelers’ offense never found rhythm. Rodgers, under relentless pressure from Cleveland’s front, finished 21 of 39 for 168 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns.

The Browns’ defense repeatedly collapsed the pocket, forcing rushed throws and uncomfortable decisions from the 42-year-old quarterback. Cleveland added insurance late in the fourth quarter when Szmyt drilled another field goal to make it 13-6 with 1:40 remaining.

Rodgers had one final chance.

Taking over at the Pittsburgh 35-yard line, he marched the Steelers to the Cleveland 7. But the Browns’ secondary slammed the door, forcing three straight incompletions in the end zone – each targeting Marquez Valdes-Scantling – to seal the upset.

The win moves Cleveland to 4-12, a modest record but one that continues to show growth around its young quarterback. For Pittsburgh, now 9-7, the loss stings. The Steelers head into a Week 18 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens with the AFC North title and a playoff berth on the line.

For one afternoon in Cleveland, though, the story belonged to Shedeur Sanders – calm, confident, and unbothered by the moment as the Browns knocked off a division rival and stole the spotlight.