With the Browns going into halftime up 10-6 against the Steelers, Cleveland needed to maintain the same fight it had in the first half to finish off its division rivals.
The Browns shut out the Steelers for the next 30 minutes of playing time, including stopping Pittsburgh on three consecutive plays to the end zone to win 13-6 in Week 17 at Huntington Bank Field. Now the Browns look to ride the momentum they created against Pittsburgh into Week 18 and their final game of the season against the Bengals.
“Really proud of those guys in that football game to be in that fight for 60 minutes and come out on top,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Some really great efforts in that game. Some guys stepping up into roles that they haven’t played in previously, which I was really proud of those guys as well. So, need to build off of it. Wanted to split that series with the Steelers last week. We have an opportunity to split a series with the Bengals this week, so that’ll be our sole focus.”
Here are the main pieces of news heading into the Browns’ final game of the 2025 season.
Updating the injury report
TE Harold Fannin Jr., RG Wyatt Teller and LB Carson Schwesinger all dealt with injuries over the course of the game against Pittsburgh. Stefanski said that all three players are rehabbing and progressing, not ruling any of them out yet for Week 18.
Fannin left the game in the first quarter with a groin injury, an injury he first sustained during practice on Dec. 26. The injury occurred on his second catch of the game, a 28-yard touchdown reception from QB Shedeur Sanders. Fannin went to the sidelines after the score and didn’t return to the game.
Teller reaggravated a calf injury that forced him to miss Week 14, 15 and 16 on the Browns’ first drive of the game. G Teven Jenkins took over Teller’s duties at the position, playing until the third quarter when he was ruled out after entering the concussion protocol. G Zak Zinter played the remainder of the game at guard.
Schwesinger played 100 percent of the defensive snaps against the Steelers, navigating through an injury. As a result of his determination to not come off the field, Stefanski gave Schwesinger a game ball following Cleveland’s win. Schwesinger finished the game with nine combined tackles.
“I watched it during the game and making plays and pushing himself and trying to get loose in between series and that type of thing,” Stefanski said. “It’s emblematic of the effort out there and I appreciate that and I think it speaks well about him. It speaks to his teammates as well.”