The Browns is the Browns. All jokes aside, the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to 6-2 on the regular season and have taken the No. 1 spot in the AFC North following their Week 8 win over Cleveland. And there are plenty of studs — and duds — to recognize from Pittsburgh's victory.
From running back dominance to a huge game for the defense, here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Steelers' Week 8 win over the Browns.
Winners
Jaylen Warren
Wow. Warren finished the game with 143 rushing yards on just 17 attempts, an incredible 8.4 yards per attempt, in addition to one rushing touchdown. I hope no one is getting tired of seeing Warren make the winners list every week, as I have a feeling the talented Steelers running back is just getting started.
Darnell Washington
Washington
is the definition of a 6-foot-7 freight train that just so happens to be good at football. Washington hauled in three passes for 98 yards, including a game-changing 58-yard catch-and-run that set up a Pittsburgh touchdown.
Inside linebackers
Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson's hot streak continues, as the starting linebacker duo dominated the Browns in the Steelers' Week 8 win. Combining for 20 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two QB hits, and a forced fumble (most of which came from Queen), the Steelers linebackers went from being an area of concern to becoming arguably a top-five unit in the league.
T.J. Watt
Ben Roethlisberger may own the Browns, but T.J. Watt is becoming a close second. Watt finished the game with two sacks, two tackles for loss, three QB hits, and one pass defended. Pittsburgh's pass rush as a whole also deserves credit, as they were on Deshaun Watson all game, recording a total of eight team sacks.
Losers
DK Metcalf
Metcalf, Metcalf, Metcalf… At this point, it almost feels redundant to keep adding him to this list. Why should fans expect anything different? Metcalf hauled in just one pass for four yards, despite being targeted six times. He was responsible for a costly drop that resulted in an interception for the Browns. The Steelers didn't pay Metcalf $132 million to play like this.
Honorable mention: Browns DE Jared Verse
I would be remiss if I didn't include Verse, who would honestly be the biggest loser on this list if it weren't a Steelers-only analysis. Verse talked a lot of trash following Cleveland's fluke win back in Week 4, and was making bold claims about beating Pittsburgh all week. Well, Verse finished the game with just one tackle and zero sacks, a reoccurring theme for the sackless Browns defender. Oh, and he got body-slammed by Steelers offensive lineman Mason McCormick.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Biggest winners, losers from Steelers' Week 8 victory over Browns
