As Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers targeted WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a fourth-down attempt with 21 seconds left in the game, he looked to the back of the end zone.

Valdes-Scantling ran his route with CB Denzel Ward tight in coverage. Valdes-Scantling jumped in an attempt to catch the pass, but Ward jumped with his hands raised to prevent him from coming down with the ball. The pass then fell incomplete to force a turnover on downs and seal the win for the Browns.

"Love how this football team fights," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Love that we get to even that season series versus a division rival, get to do it in front of our fans. So, I'm just extremely grateful for that group in there, how hard they play for 60 minutes. That's what they do at practice, (and it) shows up in games. So, plenty to clean up like there always is. But to beat a good football team says a lot about that lock room. So, I'm proud of those guys."

The Browns claimed their fourth win of the season and closed out the home slate with the 13-6 win over the Steelers. Here are the three main takeaways from Cleveland's win over Pittsburgh.

Denzel Ward makes key plays on final Steelers' offensive drive

Ward continued to demonstrate why he is a Pro-Bowl caliber cornerback. After missing Week 16 with a calf injury, Ward returned for Week 17 and made crucial plays down the stretch to help secure the win for the Browns.

With less than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Steelers deep in the red zone, the Browns were looking for key stops to keep Pittsburgh out of the end zone to tie the game. Rodgers took three consecutive shots at the end zone to Valdes-Scantling, and on each pass, Ward covered Valdes-Scantling.

All three passes fell incomplete, with Ward recording a pass defensed on the fourth-down passing attempt. The incompletion also forced a turnover on downs and sealed the game for the Browns.

"He played really well," Stefanski said. "He's a great player. Great to have him back out there. You know, that's a lot of time there for a Hall of Famer. So, we knew they were going to make their plays, but our guys made one more than they did."

Ward said he was not targeted throughout a majority of the game until that final offensive possession for Pittsburgh. However, even when he isn't being targeted, Ward said he stays mentally ready for when those opportunities present themselves.

"I just try to make it hard on teams every time they decide to look at the scouting report and see who they're going to attack and make it hard on them when they come my way," Ward said. "And like I said, I don't know whose bright idea it was to try me for the game for three plays in a row, but we were able to come through and get the win."

Throughout the season, teams have not been throwing the ball in Ward's direction as an effort to keep the ball out of his hands. Ward has been targeted just 57 times this season, the lowest of his eight-year career. Heading into Week 17, he had eight passes defensed, adding his ninth on the season against the Steelers.

"He's a foundational piece for a reason," DE Myles Garrett said. "He guy's special. Anytime he's on the field, he's a game changer. He's a playmaker. I'm not surprised that he was the one that came up with the big play to win it for us."

Defense shuts down Steelers' offense

Alongside Ward's defensive efforts, overall, the Browns' defense shut down Pittsburgh's ability to put points on the board.

The Browns gave up just six points to the Steelers, tying their fewest points allowed this season. Defensively, the Browns did not allow the Steelers' offense to find the end zone, forcing them to punt the ball away on five offensive possessions and turn the ball over on downs on three possessions. The Steelers had to settle for two field goals – which both came in the second quarter – to put points on the board.

"Outstanding," Stefanski said of the defensive performance. "And a bunch of individual efforts. Obviously, Myles (Garrett) getting all the attention he got. I thought Tyson (Campbell) was outstanding. I thought Carson (Schwesinger) battled and fought like he always does and ends up tackling the guy to the ground. Just a bunch of individual efforts and just that was what was required today."

The Browns also found ways to take away the pass game, and limited Pittsburgh to 160 net passing yards. They applied pressure with their pass rush, while their secondary covered and tackled targets to contain any gains. DE Alex Wright and S Grant Delpit each recorded a sack on Rodgers, while Garrett had a quarterback hit on Rodgers. CB Tyson Campbell totaled four tackles, one tackle for loss and two passes defensed. Rodgers finished the game completing 21 of 39 passing attempts for 168 yards.

Cleveland also improved its ability to stop the run, limiting Pittsburgh to 131 net rushing yards. The longest run of the game came on a gain of 29 yards from FB Conner Heyward, with other gains of 15 yards from RB Jaylen Warren and RB Kenneth Gainwell. However, the Steelers recorded just 58 net rushing yards in the second half as they struggled to move the ball downfield.

"We stopped the run, and then they had to pass the ball, then we're pretty good on defense. Our rush is going to be able to get there and cause a lot of havoc and pressure for them, and that obviously is going to help us on the back end and coverage," Ward said. "We know what we're capable of as a defense and we're trying to go out there and show it every week. I think it was a great showing, obviously still stuff we can work on, but Aaron Rodgers is a Hall of Fame quarterback with great experience and been in that situation millions of times. So just to be able to get the win against a guy like that means a lot."

Andre Szmyt scores seven of 13 points for Browns

K Andre Szmyt's success in the kicking game against the Steelers played a critical role in the win, as he scored seven of the Browns' 13 points.

"It feels great. I think we came such a long way – developing and I have such a great group around me," Szmyt said. "Guys like Head Coach Kevin (Stefanski) and Rex (Sunahara), Corey (Bojorquez), everybody is supportive and have been there for me. It means a lot."

Szmyt said they used pregame to determine how much of a factor the wind would play in the kicking game, and that his experience kicking at home at Huntington Bank Field helped him manage the conditions.

He put the Browns on the board first with a 50-yard field goal after their first offensive drive stalled. Then, after QB Shedeur Sanders connected with TE Harold Fannin Jr. for a 28-yard touchdown pass, Szmyt made his lone extra-point attempt in the game.

Szmyt scored the final points for the Browns with under two minutes left in the game when he hit a 33-yard field goal attempt to give the Browns a 13-6 lead – one that would ultimately hold until the end of the game.

"He's shown he's one of the better kickers in this league and with more experience, you're going to see Andre just get better and better in these situations," DT Shelby Harris said. "And so, he was a big part of that win today, and I don't want people to forget about that. Andre is a legit kicker in this league. He's going to be around for a long time, and he can do this. Every kicker might have a bad kick every once in a while, but his body of work this season has shown that he's a good NFL kicker."