The NFL Week 8 grades from CBS Sports have arrived, and the Pittsburgh Steelers received a massive high mark for their 27-6 domination of the Cleveland Browns.
According to John Breech of CBS Sports, the Steelers received an A+ grade for their Week 8 performance, which included 361 yards of offense while allowing just 319 yards on defense.
"Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has gotten hot over the past few weeks and not even the Browns could slow him down," Breech wrote. "Warren plowed his way through the Browns' defense for 102 yards in the FIRST HALF alone on his way to 143 for the game on just 17 carries. When the Steelers are able to run the ball, that makes them nearly unbeatable. This is the fourth time this season that they've hit 100
yards rushing and they've gone 4-0 in those games. Of course, the real story of this game was the dominance of the Steelers' defense. The Browns never really sniffed the end zone until the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter. T.J. Watt (2 sacks), Cameron Heyward (1.5 sacks) and Patrick Queen (1.5 sacks) feasted on the Browns' offensive line that couldn't slow down the Steelers' pass rush. The Steelers will now get the comfort of heading into the bye as the leader in the AFC North."
The stats don't do the Steelers justice, as Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle combined for 199 rushing yards and completely changed the game whenever the football was in their hands. Defensively, the Steelers sacked Deshaun Watson eight times, forced two turnovers, and didn't allow a single touchdown in Cleveland's embarrassing loss.
Yes, the Steelers' wins have come against a few opponents who are below .500, such as the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and Indianapolis Colts. But the Steelers have also looked really good against some of the top competitors in the AFC, like the 5-2 Bengals and the previously 5-2 Browns, who are now 5-3. While Steelers fans might be hesitant to get excited early about a Steelers team that hasn't won a playoff game in nearly 10 years, this season is beginning to feel different. The offense is coming together, and the defense is playing like a top-five unit in the NFL.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: NFL weekly grades: Steelers praised for dominating Browns
