Steelers vs. Browns Week 4 Tracker: Injury updates, predictions, storylines and more

Coming off their upset win over the Bengals in Week 3, the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Thursday night in Week 4. The Browns are off to a surprising 2-1 start, thanks primarily to back-to-back strong performances by their defense after getting blown out by the Jaguars in Week 1.

The Steelers, also 2-1 (as is the rest of the AFC North), are coming off their best offensive showing by far, putting up 30 points after scoring a combined 16 offensive points through their first two games. The Bengals' high-powered passing attack exposed their defense a bit, but the Deshaun Watson-led Browns don't have half the talent Cincinnati has to work with.

Despite a potential mismatch on paper, Thursday night road games have been the Steelers' Achilles' heel for as long as they have existed as a franchise. Since the NFL/AFL merger (1970), Pittsburgh is just 3-16 all-time in such games and 0-9 against divisional opponents, according to StatHead Football($).

Can the Steelers finally end that streak? What other injuries, storylines, and predictions do you need to know before Thursday? You can find all of it right here.

1. How to Watch Pittsburgh Steelers @ Browns in Week 4
2. Pittsburgh Steelers Injury Report for Week 4
3. Cleveland Browns Injury Report for Week 4
4. Weather Forecast for Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns in Week 4
5. Biggest Pittsburgh Steelers Storylines heading into Week 4
6. Predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4

How to Watch Pittsburgh Steelers @ Browns in Week 4

• Date: Thursday, October 1st
• Time: 8:15 p.m. EST
• TV Network: Prime Video
• Announcers: Al Michaels (Play-by-Play), Kirk Herbstreit (Color Analyst), Kaylee Hartung (Sideline Reporter)

Pittsburgh Steelers Injury Report for Week 4

Cleveland Browns Injury Report for Week 4

Weather Forecast for Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns in Week 4

Current Forecast (via NFLWeather.com)

• Temperature: 74 degrees
• Wind Speed: 7 mph
• Precipitation: Rain showers likely

Biggest Pittsburgh Steelers Storylines heading into Week 4

Can the Steelers finally break their streak of Thursday Night Football road game funk?

As I mentioned earlier, the Steelers have struggled immensely in the exact situation they find themselves in this week. The Browns have beaten them all four times they have traveled to Cleveland to face them on TNF, and only their most recent loss in 2024 was particularly close. Keep in mind that the combined record of those four Browns teams was 21-45.

In fairness, a divisional game on the road is always a tough one to win, especially on a short week. Still, this is a game the Steelers cannot afford to drop if they want to be taken seriously as a threat to win the division. It's time to put this ugly streak to rest and beat an inferior opponent, no matter how difficult the circumstances may be.

Will Joey Porter Jr. finally take the field?

In everyone's least favorite version of will-he-won't-he, Joey Porter Jr. has another chance to make his first appearance of the season this week. He has logged full practices for the first time this season in the lead-up to Thursday night, so there should be no reason he doesn't play against Cleveland.

Unless, of course...it's never been about his health. That is the lingering question on everyone's mind that has yet to really be answered. If he not only plays this week, but plays with the physicality and effort we saw from him a year ago, it will put all of the questions about him to bed. If he doesn't make his debut, or looks uninterested or not at all like the No. 1 CB he was in 2025, the trade chatter surrounding him will only get louder.

Can the Steelers defense bounce back from their lackluster showing in Week 3?

Against the Bengals, the Steelers were meticulously picked apart in the passing game by Joe Burrow and company. It wasn't until deep into the first half that Burrow finally threw an incomplete pass, and he made multiple big throws that resulted in touchdowns for his team. He was also making sure to mitigate the Steelers' pass rush by getting the ball out quickly most of the game.

Against Cleveland, it's safe to say that they won't be (or shouldn't be, at least) challenged nearly as much. The Browns may be 2-1, but Deshaun Watson has largely struggled despite relatively solid numbers. As long as Pittsburgh's secondary can stay disciplined, this is an offense that they should be able to dominate.

Can Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers keep their offensive momentum going?

In Week 3, Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers quieted their critics with a strong offensive showing against the Bengals and their new-look defense. As impressive as they were, they still left points on the board with missed throws and communication issues. They burned through all three of their first-half timeouts with just under eight minutes left in the second quarter, and it prevented them from having time to mount a last-second drive before halftime.

If they are going to be the coach and QB to break the Steelers' streak of futility in divisional TNF road games, the offense will likely have to be even better. Luckily, I think they could match up well with what the Browns are trying to do defensively. Much like they did under Jim Schwartz in previous seasons, Cleveland is playing man coverage at an extremely high rate.

In fact, they lead the league in man coverage percentage, according to Sumer Sports ($). While Rodgers and the Steelers' offense struggled mightily against man coverage over the first two weeks, they carved up Cincinnati when they were in man coverage a week ago.

If McCarthy can continue to dial up man beaters, and the Steelers' offensive line can block as well as they did against the Bengals, the Browns will be in for a long night.

Predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4

Predictions will be added as experts weigh in throughout the week

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