Tag: Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Kareem Hunt not worried about Myles Garrett, retaliation from Steelers

Hunt wants to win for Garrett in his return to Pittsburgh

The spotlight is shining brightly on the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday. This is the first meeting since “The Incident” last November.

You know it. Myles Garrett knows it. The Steelers know it. The national media will make sure no one doesn’t know it.

Browns running back Kareem Hunt, who knows a little something about being suspended midseason for indecent behavior, knows it too. Hunt doesn’t seem concerned that the game will devolve into the fracas that ended that Thursday night game.

Specifically, Hunt trusts that Garrett won’t get roped into extracurricular activities.

“It takes a lot to get Myles out of his element,” Hunt said via cleveland.com.  “Myles is a great person and teammate. I have no doubt in my mind that he’ll keep those emotions in check and go out there and just play football.”

Hunt continued,

“Last year doesn’t matter,” Hunt said. “We have a new team, new coaches, new everything and a new record. We definitely have to come out, be ready to play, keep our emotions in check and keep playing in between the whistles. That is for everybody. We have to be smart. It is going to be a long, physical game.”

The Browns aren’t going to ignore it, but rather embrace the chance to win one for their teammate and support him in the best way possible: victory.

“Myles is a great player, a great person and a great teammate. You just learn a lot going through situations like that. You just have to come ready, forget about all that stuff and do whatever you can. This one is for Myles. This one is for Cleveland Browns fans. This one is for a lot of things,” Hunt said.

[lawrence-related id=53706]

Baker Mayfield sore with bruised ribs but expects to play vs. Steelers

Mayfield was limited in Wednesday’s practice

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has no doubt he is going to play on Sunday in the eagerly anticipated matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers even though he’s nursing some bruised ribs.

Mayfield got hit by Colts DE Justin Houston as he threw his second interception in the second half in the win over Indianapolis. While Mayfield is sore, he also is glad it’s not worse.

“I’m lucky with the way that I landed that it was not directly on my shoulder, (I) kind of rolled a little bit,” Mayfield said in his press conference on Wednesday. “Obviously, could have been a lot worse.”

Mayfield was limited in practice as he rests the sore right side. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him limited the rest of the week.

[lawrence-related id=53616]

“Feel good,” Mayfield said. “Just one day at a time right now. Obviously, a little sore, but that’s why we have the rest of the week until game day.”

The only other QB on the roster is veteran backup Case Keenum. Third-stringer Garrett Gilbert was signed from the practice squad to the Dallas Cowboys’ active roster on Monday. The Browns do have an opening on the practice squad but have not brought in another quarterback.

[vertical-gallery id=53470]

Reviewing the Browns unofficial depth chart vs. Steelers

The unofficial depth chart vs. the Steelers is out

The Cleveland Browns released their unofficial depth chart for the Week 6 matchup with the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers. The depth chart is indeed unofficial, but the Kevin Stefanski regime has played it closer to the reality than a lot of other coaching staffs tend to these days.

On offense, the most interesting order is at tight end. David Njoku is still TE3 behind Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant. Njoku played well in his return to the field in Week 5 but he remains lower on the depth chart than Bryant. The fourth-round rookie has also impressed with his receiving ability.

As for the defense…

The only real questions are at linebacker and the pecking order in coordinator Joe Woods’ rotation. Second-year players Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson remain on the starter lines, along with B.J. Goodson. Veteran Malcolm Smith played more in the Week 5 win over the Colts (37 snaps) than Takitaki (15) and Wilson (19) combined and was on the field for most of the second half.

There is no change in the projected starting safeties. Ronnie Harrison started in Week 5 for the injured Karl Joseph and played the best game of any safety for the Browns all season. Harrison remains behind Joseph on the depth chart, however. He is battling a concussion of his own that leaves his availability for Sunday in question.

Odds watch: Browns open as underdogs in Pittsburgh

The undefeated Steelers are 3.5-point favorites over the 4-1 Browns

The Cleveland Browns are 4-1 for the first time since before Baker Mayfield and Myles Garrett were even born. Alas, they’re still not able to earn favored status when heading into Pittsburgh in Week 6.

The Steelers have opened as 3.5-point favorites at BetMGM as well as most other outlets. Being undefeated and playing at home are valid reasons why the Steelers get the benefit of the doubt. They’ve earned that respect for how they’ve performed in 2020.

At 50.5 points, the over/under is one of the lower ones for the Week 6 slate. Cleveland has scored at least 32 points four weeks in a row but has also allowed 20 or more in every game. Pittsburgh has posted at least 26 points in each of its four games.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers sports betting odds and lines, with Week 13 NFL betting picks, tips and bets.

The Cleveland Browns (5-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) renew acquaintances at 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Heinz Field. We analyze the Browns-Steelers sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 13 matchup.

Browns at Steelers: Week 13 preview, betting trends and notes

BetMGM BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL

BET $1, WIN $250 in free bets if ANY NFL team scores a touchdown Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. Bet now and win!
Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.

  • The Browns meet the Steelers for the first time since their brawl in the closing seconds of a Week 11 game which ended in a 21-7 Cleveland win.
  • Steelers QB Mason Rudolph, at the center of the brawl when he was hit on the head by his own helmet, is benched in favor of QB Devlin Hodges, an undrafted free-agent rookie.
  • The Steelers currently hold the sixth spot in the AFC playoff race, but the Browns are just one game back and have already beaten the Steelers once.
  • The last time the Browns won a game in Pittsburgh was 2003, when Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield was just eight years old.
  • The Browns are just 6-21-2 against the spread in the past 29 games vs. teams with a winning record.
  • Cleveland is 4-1-1 ATS in the past six meetings in this series, and the Over is 4-1 in the past five battles in Pittsburgh.

Browns at Steelers: Key injuries

Browns: OT Greg Robinson (concussion) and DE Olivier Vernon (knee) are questionable.

Steelers: CB Artie Burns (knee) is listed as questionable, while RB James Conner (shoulder) is doubtful. WR Juju Smith-Schuster (concussion, knee) remains out.

Browns at Steelers: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 3:55 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Steelers 23, Browns 20

Moneyline (?)

The STEELERS (+115) are short dogs at home, but they’re worth a roll of the dice. The Browns (-139) are on a season-high three-game winning streak but have struggled over the years in Pittsburgh and it’s hard to see them getting over that hump.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the moneyline returns an $11.50 profit with a Pittsburgh victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The STEELERS (+1.5, +100) are a better value on the moneyline, so it’s better to just take them outright to win. If they cover, they’re going to hit the moneyline, too. Why not make a few more dollar bills?

Over/Under (?)

OVER 39.5 (-106) is worth a small-unit bet. It’s hard to trust a Pittsburgh offense without Conner and Smith-Schuster, while starting a UDFA under center. But this one has the potential to at least be in the 40’s.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1367]

Browns’ unofficial depth chart for Week 13

Browns’ unofficial depth chart for Week 13 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Cleveland Browns released their unofficial depth chart for the Week 13 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This week’s edition features a couple of interesting wrinkles.

First, rookie offensive lineman Drew Forbes makes an appearance as the backup left guard behind starter Joel Bitonio. Forbes has still yet to play in a game for the Browns since being activated off injured reserve.

At tight end, rookie Stephen Carlson is listed ahead of Pharaoh Brown on the depth chart. That reflects the reality of late, but it’s still interesting to see the movement after Brown’s injury earlier this year. Carlson caught his first career pass–a touchdown reception–in the first meeting with the Steelers in Week 11.

Olivier Vernon remains listed with an injury designation at one of the starting DE spots. We’ll know more about his status for the Steelers game later this week.

Freddie Kitchens wants his Browns focused on going 1-0

Freddie Kitchens wants his Browns focused on going 1-0 in Pittsburgh and not on the Garrett/Rudolph aftermath

This Sunday’s trip to Pittsburgh is one of the most hotly anticipated games the Cleveland Browns have played in years. Just two weeks after the ugly brawl between the teams at the end of the Browns’ 21-7 win at FirstEnergy Stadium, the wounds of the Myles Garrett/Mason Rudolph fracas are still fresh.

Freddie Kitchens doesn’t want to hear about any of that noise. The Browns coach has adopted a new mantra.

1-0.

Kitchens wants his team focused on the task at hand – winning an important football game. He talked about the importance of 1-0 in his conference call with reporters on Monday.

“I think the wording of it is to go 1-0 this week because that is what we have to do, but our focus and our preparation, nothing should change,” Kitchens stated. “We just need to have a little more focus on our focus. We have to have a little more focus on the preparation and then our whole goal at the end of each week is just to go 1-0. That is the way it is throughout the whole year. ”

The rookie coach seems wary of discussing the charged environment and anger between the two AFC North rivals. He wants his team focused on playing football, and only playing football.

“I want them to go in with one thing and one thing only on their minds, and that is to do their job, and anything that overshadows that in any way is not acceptable and it is not the best for the team. I want guys to show up ready to do their job. All of that other stuff is just fluff. It is just fluff to give people things to talk about leading up to Sunday.”

Browns playoff chances still very much alive

The Cleveland Browns playoff probability jumps to over 50 percent with a win over the Steelers in Week 13

At a record of 5-6, the playoffs might seem like a crazy goal for the Cleveland Browns. But three straight wins, a favorable upcoming schedule to finish out the season and a lack of good teams in the AFC all make the postseason a more realistic outcome than you might think.

The current AFC Wild Card picture is very crowded after the Week 12 Sunday outcomes. Right now the Browns sit at the No. 10 seed, looking up at four teams with 6-5 records. One of those is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who Cleveland faces in Week 13.

Pittsburgh currently holds the No. 6 seed, the final playoff spot. They win tiebreakers over the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders and Indianapolis Colts based on conference record. If the Browns win in Pittsburgh on Sunday, they’ll own the tiebreaker with Pittsburgh based on sweeping the Steelers.

Alas, the picture is more complicated than that. Head-to-head only matters when there are just two teams involved. But the Browns are looking very good in any multi-team tie, too. Like Pittsburgh, the Browns are currently 5-3 against AFC opponents. A win over the Steelers seizes that tiebreaker for Cleveland.

There are still loads of outcomes that will weigh into the race over the next five weeks. The Titans and Colts play in Week 13, and then Tennessee visits Oakland the following Sunday. The Jaguars, Chargers and Jets are all 4-7 and still alive, too.

Football Outsiders calculates the current Browns playoff odds at 26.4 percent. At FiveThirtyEight, the current odds are 30 percent. Their interactive tool allows some ability to project forward, so I ran a scenario of outcomes for Week 13.

The Browns percentage jumps to 54 percent with the following hypothetical results from this coming week:

Cleveland beats Pittsburgh

Tennessee beats Indianapolis

Kansas City beats Oakland

It goes up to 57 percent probability if the Cowboys knock off the 8-3 Buffalo Bills, the current Wild Card leaders.

Steelers QB Mason Rudolph speaks about Week 11 vs Browns

His version of events differs with what most people saw on film

[jwplayer Z48KOFUO]

Here is Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Mason Rudolph, speaking about how the Week 11 game against the Browns ended.

We all have been interested in what Mason Rudolph was going to say next after saying Cleveland Browns defensive end, Myles Garrett, “cowardly” attacked him with his own helmet.

Here are a few discrepancies I see with his comments:

1. Juju Smith-Schuster did not leave the game injured after a targeting call.

2. No comments were made about Mason Rudolph’s conduct and trying to remove Myles Garrett’s helmet. This shows a lack of accountability for the situation.

3. The “late hit” Mason Rudolph can be seen below. It is pretty obvious Myles Garrett arrived a split second after the pass left Rudolph’s hand. Calling it a “late hit” is not correct.

Browns-Steelers rematch in Week 13 moved to 1 p.m. kickoff

The game was scheduled for 4:25 p.m. but has been moved up

The hotly anticipated rematch between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13 will kick off earlier than expected.

The Browns and the NFL announced the game in Pittsburgh on Dec. 1 will kick off at 1 p.m. ET. It was originally scheduled as a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will remain as a CBS broadcast.

No official reason has been given for the time change. However, given the heated ending to the Week 11 Browns win in Cleveland, the earlier time slot takes away some of the prominence of the game. The NFL is likely trying to minimize the spotlight on Mason Rudolph’s rematch against a Browns team and national fan reaction that very strongly feels he instigated the chaotic violence in FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday night.

Two AFC games remain in the late-afternoon window, with the Chargers at Denver and the Raiders playing the Chiefs in AFC West matchups in Week 13.

[lawrence-related id=37201]