Locals in the NFL: Jaylen Warren powers Steelers past Browns into first place

SALT LAKE CITY – Jaylen Warren’s career-best season kept rolling Sunday, and so did the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Warren rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries as Pittsburgh beat the Cleveland Browns 27-6 to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North. It was Warren’s fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season and the eighth of his career.

 

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The performance reinforced one of the Steelers’ clearest offensive strengths: Warren is no longer just a change-of-pace back. He has emerged as a featured weapon in a Pittsburgh offense leaning on its running game to control tempo, finish drives, and separate itself in a crowded division race.

If Rico Dowdle provided the lightning, Warren brought the thunder. The two backs combined for 199 rushing yards, and each scored a touchdown as the Steelers improved to 6-2.

Warren set the tone early with one of Pittsburgh’s biggest plays of the game. Facing third-and-13, he took a handoff, slipped through the Browns’ defense and broke free for a 51-yard gain before being pulled down.

He was just getting started.

RELATED: Jaylen Warren’s hot streak gives Steelers a featured weapon

Jaylen Warren just went 51 yards on 3rd and 13 😳

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Later in the first half, Warren opened a two-minute drive with a 23-yard run that helped set up another Pittsburgh touchdown. The score gave the Steelers a 20-6 halftime lead and firm control of the game.

Warren added his touchdown in the second half after tight end Darnell Washington’s 58-yard catch-and-run put the Steelers near the goal line. Warren finished the drive from 1 yard out, powering into the end zone for his third TD of the season.

Jaylen Warren increases the Steelers’ lead

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The outing continued a hot stretch for Warren, who entered Week 8 ranked fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 855, trailing only Bijan Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jahmyr Gibbs.

For Pittsburgh, the win was more than another division victory. It was another reminder that Warren has become central to the Steelers’ offensive identity — and perhaps one of the biggest reasons they now sit alone atop the AFC North.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)

• Jaylen Warren, RB, Utah State/Snow/East High (via Oklahoma State): Starting running back had 17 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown. He caught one pass for no gain

Cleveland Browns (5-3)

• Winston Reid, LB, Weber State/Copper Hills High: Reserve linebacker had one tackle while playing mostly on special teams
• Spencer Fano, OT, Utah/Timpview High: Started at left tackle on offense
• Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU/Utah/American Fork High: Reserve tight end played only on special teams

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in the NFL, Locals in MLB, and the Utah State Aggies. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.

Parts of this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team.

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