PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 23-0 in their last 23 home games against the Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers heard the noise from Cleveland all week, and ignored it. Cam Heyward said early in the week that Jared Verse's comments about Pittsburgh playing "dirty" in their latest game would "be addressed."

It was, in the fashion of a 27-6 win at Acrisure Stadium.

Let's dive into some takeaways.

Jared Verse Owes Deshaun Watson an Apology

The Steelers spent all week ignoring the Jared Verse smack talk in front of cameras, but they certainly heard the noise and took it as a challenge.

Mission accomplished.

Before the game, I predicted the Steelers would have five sacks (minimum) in this game. They had four at halftime. They finished with eight, and nearly took Deshaun Watson out of the game on the opening series when he was checked for a concussion.

As for Verse himself, Mason McCormick made sure to let him know they heard him talking...

Jared Verse been talking all week. Mason McCormick did his talking on this play

A 15-yard penalty he will gladly take pic.twitter.com/qZT7H0HPmH

— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) November 1, 2026

It was a welcome to the AFC North game for Cleveland's newest starting edge rusher. Everyone needs one of those games, but when you talk beforehand, it usually makes it a little bit tougher of a day for you during the game.

In this instance, it not only made life rough Verse, but made it especially difficult for his quarterback.

It's a live-and-learn situation for Verse, but one he won't get to make right until either the playoffs or next season. One thing is for certain, though, the Browns did not "own" Pittsburgh after this one.

Weekly Jaylen Warren is Really Good Section

Another week, another reminder that Jaylen Warren is a top five running back in the National Football League. This week, he finished with 17 rushes for 143 rushing yards and a touchdown.

He had 10 rushes for 102 yards at halftime.

Warren turned 28 on game day and had a little extra burst in his play to celebrate.

For another week in a row, Warren was the best player on the Steelers' roster. He continues to be the driving force for the offense and one of the most explosive players in the entire league.

Yes, he's underrated. Yes, he's arguably top five in the NFL. Yes, chances are he'll be featured in this column again next week.

5️⃣1️⃣ YARDS 🚂 @Nunless2 pic.twitter.com/3d2lNSEUfv

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 1, 2026

Terrible Red Zone Play-Calling

If it's Mike McCarthy, someone needs to tell the head coach to do some self-scouting on his red zone play-calling. If it's Aaron Rodgers, someone needs to tell him to stop trying to pad the stats. But whoever is making these red zone decisions needs to be corrected, because it's bad. Real bad.

The pointless DK Metcalf fades are where it usually begins, but it never seems to get much better from there. Jaylen Warren, who we just got done talking about being a top-five runner, is barely used inside the 20-yard line. Rico Dowdle, the two-time1,000-yard rusher behind him, doesn't get much attention, either.

Correction: the last 6 plays inside the 10. https://t.co/OcbB4Jvvga

— Trai Essex (@TraiDay79) November 1, 2026

Pittsburgh's inability to realize they need to run the ball more near the goal line will continue to hold them back. Luckily, the offense as a whole is good enough to move the ball and produce points. A few more touchdowns compared to field goals would go a long way in tight games, though.

Steelers Need Some Cornerback Help

This defense has plenty of excitement surrounding it, but every week, we're reminded that their secondary is the weak link of the entire roster. Even when the pass rush is as elite as it was this week, the corners and safeties struggled, and it made the end result look much different than it should have been.

If the Steelers could cover for just another second on average, there would be several more sacks for this team.

With the trade deadline approaching, general manager Omar Khan should at least be checking on names. Nahshon Wright, Alontae Taylor, Amik Robertson and others have been mentioned as possible trade candidates. Maybe they don't fix the problem, but if they don't cost much to acquire, it's worth taking a shot on someone.

Pittsburgh's entire defense could use the boost.

Spencer Anderson the Starter

The Steelers announced an extra offensive lineman during their pregame introductions. To kick things off, they welcomed Spencer Anderson as part of the starting offense. The 200 rushing yards backed that display of appreciation well.

The jumbo package returning to the offense is a great sight to see. There were even a few moments when Riley Nowakowski was in the game at fullback.

This team may have Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy enjoying one last ride together, but this is a running football team. One with six starting offensive linemen.

If Alex Highsmith is Available for Trade...

Over the weekend, Alex Highsmith was mentioned as a potential name to watch at the trade deadline. The Steelers aren't interested in trading him away, but the right offer could spark a conversation.

To this point, they've told every team that has called no. That probably won't change after this game.

Highsmith was a force from start to finish, recording five tackles and a half-sack against the Browns.

His trade value went up in this one. So did the Steelers' desire to keep him for the upcoming playoff run.

DK Metcalf Isn't Worth the Money

The Steelers are paying DK Metcalf over $30 million for the 2026 season and then for the next three seasons afterward. He hasn't shown he's been worth that amount of money one time since he joined the roster, and that deal continues to look worse with each poor performance he has.

Against the Browns, Metcalf had one reception for four yards before Aaron Rodgers found him deep in the middle of the field, wide open. It didn't result in a completion. Instead, Metcalf bobbled the ball, which landed in the hands of Denzel Ward, instead.

So, yeah, the Steelers need to add a WR pic.twitter.com/5nwkki18rY

— Donny Football (@DonChed54) November 1, 2026

You could see the defeat in Metcalf as he walked off the field and was surrounded by his teammates. But the boos from the crowd were loud, and as much as this fanbase wants to embrace Metcalf as their star wide receiver, it's very difficult for them to.

The Steelers probably need a wideout at the deadline. They won't get a WR1 to replace Metcalf, but anyone helps. As long as they have options, they can probably make up for the lack of production from their $132 million wide receiver.