The Pittsburgh Steelers were lucky enough to see all of their AFC North counterparts lose in Week 5 as they rested during their bye week. Those outcomes give them a fantastic opportunity in Week 6, as they get to face the 1-4 Cleveland Browns at home.
With the Bengals traveling to Green Bay to face the Packers, and the Ravens welcoming the Los Angeles Rams to Baltimore, likely without star quarterback Lamar Jackson, a win against the Browns would likely mean a multiple-game lead in the division just over a third of the way through the season.
Based on their performance against the Vikings in London, however, Cleveland may not be the easy victory that fans and players may be expecting it to be. They may have lost, but they showed promise in key areas that could be problematic for Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot afford to take the Browns lightly in Week 6 clash
Pittsburgh's defense has turned a corner since its disastrous first two games, but that doesn't mean it's a guarantee that the Browns won't be able to have success against them. Their ground game came alive against Minnesota, with rookie Quinshon Judkins becoming the first Browns player to rush for over 100 yards since November of 2023.
The Ohio State product looks like the real deal, and he is the exact type of runner that tends to have success against the Steelers. He has excellent vision and patience, while possessing enough burst to take advantage of any holes that may open up.
Rookie QB Dillon Gabriel also made his first start this week, and while not spectacular, his performance had one quality that the offense wasn't getting with Joe Flacco: protecting the football.
Gabriel managed just 190 yards passing, but with two touchdowns and only two sacks taken. He also had no turnovers, while the benched Flacco had eight turnovers (six interceptions, two fumbles) in just four starts.
If Judkins has a big day on the ground and Gabriel plays clean football again, the Browns defense will keep them in it against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's offense has been inconsistent to start the season, but their Week 4 showing had signs of improvement. Repeating that success against Cleveland will be no easy task, however.
The bottom line is that this game feels like an easy victory, but there rarely is such a thing in the NFL. That is especially true for the Steelers, who have won just 14 games by more than a score since the beginning of the 2020 season. If the Browns can keep things close, their rushing attack and defensive front could turn the game in their favor late. Hopefully, the Steelers aren't overlooking them coming off the bye.