With the Steelers coming off their bye week, here are five bold predictions for their week eight matchup with the Browns.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers have won their previous two games heading into their bye week, the results haven’t been pretty, especially when you consider just how bad the two teams they beat are. Pittsburgh won close games against the 3-2 Denver Broncos and the 2-4 Seattle Seahawks.
The Cleveland Browns are a talented team that should be favored in this game, but injuries all across their roster have made them hard to fully back this week. A win against an AFC North team would be a huge boost for the team. Here are five bold predictions for the Steelers’ Week 8 game against the Browns.
5 Bold predictions for Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland
5. Steelers OL Zach Banner is a big boost
Zach Banner has been a classic case of unknown potential after winning the right tackle job a year ago before suffering a season-ending injury in the first week. He was paid relatively well considering his experience this offseason but has yet to suit up due to injury. Now fully healthy, he can and should be a central figure on this offensive line.
There is some question as to what his role with the team will be, as the line has seen some progression over the past few games. In my opinion, he can and should be penciled in as the starting right tackle given his pay and the fact that Chukwuma Okorafor, while better than earlier in the season, still hasn’t been great. Even if the team opts for the same starting group, Banner can be penciled in as the swing tackle. He should be a big help in the run game this week no matter what his role on the team is.