CLEVELAND -- Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was ejected in the closing seconds of Thursday night's game against the Steelers after ripping the helmet off quarterback Mason Rudolph and striking him in the head with it.

Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who pushed Rudolph to the ground from behind after the Steelers quarterback had been hit by Garrett, and Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey also were ejected. Pouncey jumped into Garrett and punched and kicked him as Steelers teammate David DeCastro pinned Garrett to the ground.

"I thought it was pretty cowardly," Rudolph said of Garrett's actions following Cleveland's 21-7 victory. "Pretty bush league."

The melee started when Rudolph dumped a pass to running back Trey Edmunds late in the fourth quarter then was dragged to the ground by Garrett. Rudolph appeared to try to dislodge Garrett's helmet while they were on the ground. Garrett ripped off Rudolph's helmet once they stood up and took a swing with it, connecting on the top of Rudolph's helmetless head.

Cleveland coach Freddie Kitchens afterward called Garrett's actions "embarrassing" and said there was "no excuse" for what Garrett had done.

"I've never seen that in my life," Kitchens said. "It's not good."

Garrett wouldn't go into the details of what happened or what led to his reaction, but he agreed with Kitchens' characterization.

"What I did was foolish, and I shouldn't allow myself to slip like that," Garrett said. "That's out of character, but a situation like that where it's an emotional game, and I allowed myself to fall into those emotions with what happened."