3 unsung heroes from Cleveland Browns victory over Steelers

A huge win over the Steelers in Week 11 means the Cleveland Browns are now 7-3 and in a great position to make a run at the playoffs. They're also on a three-game winning streak as they prepare to face the Denver Broncos — who are on a four-game streak themselves.

Before turning our attention to that game, we take another look at the win over Pittsburgh. Players such as Myles Garrett, Dustin Hopkins, and even Dorian Thompson-Robinson have been praised for their part in securing that win. But this was a full team effort and now, we give some attention to these three unsung heroes from Week 11.

3. Shelby Harris, Defensive Tackle

Shelby Harris was a huge signing and has been a huge reason for Cleveland's improved run defense. He's also been good against the pass and on Sunday, he deflected two passes on the same drive. The first was on second-and-one early in the second quarter. That forced a third down but Jaylen Warren was able to move the chains, which kept the drive alive, on the ensuing play. However, Harris wasn't done there.

The veteran defensive tackle again got his hands up later in this drive as the Steelers were threatening to get into scoring range. On a second-and-four, Kenny Pickett fired a pass to George Pickens but Harris jumped up and put his hands in the way. He was able to bat the pass, and the ball fell harmlessly to the turf.

Pittsburgh had to punt for the third time in a row, which was a huge win for Cleveland's defense. It also helped set the tone as this unit was in control from the start and never lost confidence. As we saw, that was the reason they got the shot at the game-winning drive and even if Harris didn't light up the stat sheet, he made his share of plays.

2. Dawand Jones, Right Tackle

A fourth-round pick from Ohio State, Dawand Jones has been everything the Browns hoped he could be and more. Following an insane preseason, Jones was thrown into the starting lineup quickly. Jack Conklin, the original starter at right tackle, was lost for the year in Week 1 and Jones stepped in right away.

Cleveland's offensive line hasn't missed a beat with Jones, who has been a monster in pass protection. Listed at 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds, Jones was expected to stand out against the run but his work against every pass rusher he faced — even when it's a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year — has been outstanding. That was the case once again in Week 11.

Lined up across from T.J. Watt, who has been a menace when facing the Browns, Jones didn't back down. He wasn't able to play every snap since he was dealing with a knee injury but when he was out there, it felt as though Watt wasn't. In 19 pass snaps, Jones won every battle except one and allowed no sacks and no pressure.

Jones was one of Cleveland's highest-graded players on offense, earning a 68.9 from PFF which had him behind Wyatt Teller (80.9) and Harrison Bryant (75.3) who were also great in this win. In all honesty, that score feels very low. Shutting down one of the best pass-rushers in the game should warrant a little more praise than that.

Looking ahead, the Browns are hopeful Jones can play every snap in their next outing. James Hudson III wasn't awful but he had a couple of plays that cost the team — including a snap when he was beaten by Watt for his only sack of the game. Big Thanos was a huge reason Cleveland won in Week 11 and will continue to be a big piece of the puzzle going forward.

1. Elijah Moore, Wide Receiver

Amari Cooper has been the No. 1 wideout all season and is on his way to yet another 1,000-yard campaign. Even with the issues under center, Cooper already has 749 yards on 45 receptions and is averaging a career-high 16.6 yards per reception. He added 34 yards on four receptions this past weekend but wasn't the top pass-catcher.

Instead, that was Elijah Moore who went for 60 yards on six receptions. While he did have one fewer reception than David Njoku, the first-year Brown put up his best performance of the year. He was also easily the most efficient since he grabbed every target except for one — whereas Cooper needed eight and Njoku had 15 to land their totals.

All three of their top pass catchers made a play on the game-winning drive, with Cooper hauling in an eight-yard reception and Njoku getting an 11-yarder to put them at the Pittsburgh 26. However, it all started from their own 35-yard line and Moore was the first player Dorian Thompson-Robinson. As he did throughout the game, No. 8 made the play as he went 15 yards to put the ball at the midfield mark.

For the season, Moore now has 40 receptions for 374 yards and one touchdown. He should easily surpass his career-high of 43 receptions and despite averaging fewer than 10 yards per grab, he should also go over his personal-best 538 yards. Moore might not end up with staggering numbers, which many of us expected when he was added, but he contiunes to grow as a player. Week 11 was proof of this as he was one of the unsung heroes in the win.

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