The 30-year-old’s first sack came late in the opening quarter on a blitz off the left edge, and he closed out the game with a second sack on a third-and-long play in the fourth quarter, dragging Gabriel down four yards shy of the line of scrimmage.
Ramsey, who entered the game with three career sacks, said it was a performance he would cherish with his children.
“I’m going to probably tell my kids about this,” he said. “I played in a game with TJ Watt and Myles Garrett, and I had two sacks. That’s crazy,” (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).
Although he suffered a hamstring injury prior to the Pittsburgh bye week, Ramsey was active on a pitch count, practicing fully on Friday and participating in 58 defensive snaps, accounting for 77.3% of the team’s defensive plays.
The Steelers’ defense dominated from start to finish, holding Cleveland to 183 passing yards and just 65 rushing yards on 17 carries, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt. Pittsburgh sacked Gabriel six times, matching their total from Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, with Ramsey and super-sub Nick Herbig each recording two sacks. The team blitzed Gabriel on 21 of 58 dropbacks (36%), limiting the rookie quarterback’s effectiveness despite him completing 12 of 17 passes for 100 yards under pressure.
Individually, linebacker Myles Elliott led the team with 12 tackles, followed by Patrick Queen with nine. Ramsey also added six tackles, and defensive backs Juan Thornhill and James Pierre contributed crucial pass breakups that thwarted the Browns’ scoring opportunities. The Steelers’ run defense was particularly impressive, neutralizing rookie running back Quinshon Judkins to just 36 yards on 12 carries while preventing any explosive plays from Dylan Sampson or Jerome Ford.
In control of the offense, quarterback Aaron Rodgers managed the game efficiently, completing 21 of 30 passes for 235 yards, including two touchdown passes, one to Connor Heyward and another to DeKaylin Metcalf.
Pittsburgh’s rushing attack produced 100 yards, led by Jaylen Warren’s 52 yards on 11 carries, combining with a clean pocket provided by the offensive line to maintain control of time of possession at a season-high 31:52. Rookie left tackle Broderick Jones and sixth lineman Spencer Anderson effectively neutralized Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, holding him to just two unassisted tackles.
The Steelers’ victory rocketed them to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the AFC North, giving them a two-game lead in the division.
