Things don't get any easier for Pittsburgh this week as they head on the road to take on the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers will have to find different ways of being effective on offense as they go up against the top-ranked defense in the NFL. It should be an ugly game that comes down to whichever club turns over the football more. That should result in a low-scoring game.
The black and gold should stick to their boring and turnover-free brand of football on offense to limit any damage. The Steelers need to find ways of doing what they did in the first matchup and cause turnovers and set up their offense to succeed. Cleveland is a tough matchup even though Deshaun Watson will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Sporting News Prediction: Browns 22, Steelers 17
No Nick Chubb for the rest of the year for the Browns, but their quality offensive line has been able to lessen that blow. They still have good enough running backs to gash you, and the Steelers have trouble stopping the run still. That could come back to bite them in this game, where the running game might make the difference between these two offenses.
The Browns' defense is better as a whole, but the Steelers' unit has been able to be more consistent with turning over the ball in crucial situations. Cleveland might have a rookie quarterback coming into this game but it's not uncommon where the black and gold give up a lot of yards in this type of situation before. Pittsburgh might be in for a long afternoon with this one.
Expect the Browns' offense to use their running game throughout to make manageable situations for Dorian Thompson-Robinson in this one. It should open up a couple of different opportunities where the Browns can add points on the board. This game could go either way, but somehow Cleveland is able to find a way to win on their home field.