Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers prediction

(6) Cleveland Brown (11-5) vs (3) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) Game Preview

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Why The Cleveland Browns Will Win The AFC Wild Card

So we just did this last week. What did the Browns do right to get into the playoffs besides get to play against QB Mason Rudolph and a team that didn’t really need to win?

Mason Rudolph doesn’t play defense.

Again, this isn’t a game the Steelers needed, but the defense still gave it a shot and struggled against the Brown ground game that’s third in the NFL and great at cranking out yards in chunks.

Yes, it’ll be a talking point that it took everything in the bag to get by when Cleveland was really, really, really trying to win, but Pittsburgh is really, really, really struggling.

It had a good half against Indianapolis to get by 28-24 just after Christmas to get the No. 3 seed, and that’s been about it. The team hasn’t exactly been sharp over the last several weeks, with that the lone win in five games.

There’s absolutely no Steeler running game – it’s dead last in the league overall and without and big dashes – with just one 100-yard day in the last 11 games, but that’s been okay. The team was able to get to 11-0 without being anything special on the ground, but now there’s another issue.

The defense isn’t taking the ball away.

Cleveland is hardly a perfect team, but it doesn’t turn the ball over. There were two giveaways in the clunker against the Jets, but that’s been about it – the Browns haven’t given it up multiple times in any of the other games over the last ten, and Pittsburgh could use the help.

However …

NEXT: Why The Pittsburgh Steelers Will Win The AFC Wild Card

Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.

Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers Broadcast

Date: Sunday, October 18
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Network: CBS

[jwplayer QEHW84Os]

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Cleveland Browns (4-1) vs Pittsburgh Steelers (4-0) Game Preview

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Why Cleveland Browns Will Win

It seems to have come from out of the blue, but all of a sudden, Cleveland is pretty good at playing professional football. The running game is the best in the NFL, the passing attack has worked a bit, and the points are coming in bunches with 32 points or more in each of the last four games.

And then there’s this … Pittsburgh might be a weeeeeeee bit overrated. Going 4-0 in the NFL is amazing no matter what, but the Giants, Broncos, Texans and Eagles are all in the Tank For Trevor derby. This is the first decent team the Steelers have played. Even with that light schedule, the Steelers are awful on both sides of the ball on third downs.

– CFN Experts Picks: NFL

Why Pittsburgh Stelers Will Win

The firepower is all there. With the emergence of Chase Claypool to go along with JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, and everyone else for Ben Roethlisberger to work with, the team has been building to this point. Think of the Steeler schedule like a college team that played a bunch of relative cupcakes before diving into the real part of the schedule.

The run defense has been a killer – only allowing 100 yards once, giving up 104 to Denver – and it’s not allowing teams to go on long drives. Opposing offenses just aren’t on the field enough with dead drive after dead drive.

– CFN Experts Picks: College Football

Fantasy Football Player To Watch

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
Chase Claypool’s breakout seven-catch, 110-yard, four-total touchdown day against the Eagles heralded the arrival of yet another second round WR star in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger has been steady with two or more touchdown passes in every game, and the yards are good enough – but only going over 240 once. This is the game he spreads it around and does even more.

What’s Going To Happen

Which team shows it’s for real? The Cleveland domination of a strong Indianapolis team was an eye-opener with the ability to throw when the running game wasn’t working.

Both teams are miserable on third downs, both teams need to run well to win, and both teams need to control the tempo in a back-and-forth battle.

It’ll come down to one final drive, and Baker Mayfield will come through with the march to a game-winning field goal.