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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-6 at Acrisure Stadium last Sunday to take control of the AFC North, but the game's biggest talking point came early in the first quarter. Just three plays in, Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker came free on a blitz and hit Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson high, drawing a roughing-the-passer flag. Watson went into the medical tent, and Shedeur Sanders threw two passes before Watson returned and finished the game.
Brisker argued after the game that the penalty was the wrong call and poked fun at Watson for complaining to officials. The Browns later announced that Watson had reported concussion symptoms after the game and was in the protocol. Sanders is now set to start in his place Sunday as Cleveland takes on the Saints in New Orleans.
On Saturday, though, attention quickly turned back to Brisker, who was handed a $17,911 fine from the NFL for the hit on Watson, the first-offense amount for roughing the passer.
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The NFL has placed a strong emphasis in recent years on protecting the quarterback, and 31 fines were dished out in total from Week 8, the second most in a single week this season, with 223 so far in 2026. Brisker also wasn't the only player who got fined for a hit on the quarterback. Cowboys' Rashan Gary, Washington's K'Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh all received similar amounts.
The AFC North is known for its gritty play, with franchises like the Steelers, Browns, Bengals, and Ravens all having a reputation for their physical brand of football. But the NFL is making it clear that player safety comes first, especially when it comes to the sport's most important position.
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Heading into Week 9, the Steelers are 6-2 and in first place in the division, while the Bengals are narrowly behind them at 5-2 and Cleveland is 5-3. After their bye this week, Pittsburgh will travel to Cincinnati next Sunday night before going on the road to Philadelphia and hosting the Broncos and Texans, while the Browns will face Houston, Las Vegas, and Cincinnati in the coming weeks. The division is still wide open with both teams still firmly in the playoff picture.
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