Steelers Game Preview: If It's Brown, Flush It Down

Thursday night the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in Cleveland, Ohio to take on AFC North rivals, the Browns. A long-standing rivalry, when the original Browns were moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens, there was a short break by several years before the city of Cleveland once again had an NFL team.

But throughout the history of this rivalry, there has been a distinct dislike for each other by both teams. It gets worse with the fans. I’ve been to a Steelers game in Pittsburgh and Browns fans brave enough to come to the game are often targets of both physical and verbal abuse. I’ve never been in Cleveland for a game between these two historic franchises but I’ve heard it can get ugly.

Back in the 1950s when this series between Pittsburgh and Cleveland began, the Browns were a very outstanding team. In fact, after the first meeting on October 7, 1950, when the Browns won 30-17, they would win the next seven games. The Steelers were an awful team in the 50s and 1960s and it wasn’t until October 17, 1954, that saw the first Pittsburgh victory a 55-27 drubbing of Cleveland in Pittsburgh.

After that first win, Cleveland put on another four-game winning streak. The Steelers would win again in 1956 then proceed to lose another four straight. Overall, there have been 145 games played since 1950 including the post season. The Steelers finally began to dominate the Browns starting in 1994 and now lead the series with 81 victories, 63 losses, and one tie. In the playoffs Pittsburgh has won two of three meetings. 

Since December 12, 1984, the Steelers when facing Cleveland has a record of 52 wins and 23 losses including a tie that happened on September 9, 2018, with a final score of 21-21. Of those 52 victories since 1984 19 were in Cleveland the rest in the ‘Burgh. From 1977 through 1979 the Steelers won six straight games. Then in 1994 the Black and Gold began another winning streak that would last seven games. Not to be outdone, the 2003 Steelers defeated the Browns in Cleveland on November 23 by a score of 13-6 and would not lose to the Browns again until December 10, 2009, 11 games later. In the last six meetings the rivalry has tightened up a bit with Pittsburgh winning four and Cleveland two.

Since 1950 when the series began, the most points put on the board by the Steelers was that 55-27 victory but the Steelers also scored 51 in 1979 and have scored 40 or more five times. Getting over 30 points has happened 23 times. Cleveland shut out the Steelers four times in 1951 (twice), 1957, and on September 10, 1989, the Browns hammered the Steelers 51-0. That is the only time Cleveland went over 50 on the scoreboard but they’ve reached 40 or more 10 times and 30 or more 18 times. The Steelers have kept that Browns off the scoreboard six times.

When Thursday’s kickoff takes place the Browns head into the game with the 27th ranked overall offense. In running the ball, they are fourth from the bottom of the league with a game average of just 88.5 yards per game. In the air they average just 202.8 yards of passing per game. They are ahead of the Steelers in that category, but Pittsburgh’s number includes Justin Fields’ yards. The Steelers average 136.7 yards rushing per game and when it comes to scoring, Pittsburgh averages 23 points on the board and Cleveland just 16.2 which is 31st in the league. 

The Browns’ defense is giving up 342.7 yards of offense per game and the Steelers 305.2. Pittsburgh only allows opponents 90.8 yards of rushing each time out. The Browns are yielding 131.7. Cleveland has turned the ball over 12 times and forced just seven turnovers for a differential of (-5). The Steelers are at the top of the league with a differential of +11 having an impressive 19 takeaways and just eight turnovers. 

Offense vs. Offense

There is no question who has the better offense here. It’s an easy answer. Pittsburgh. What remains to be seen is if they can get into the end zone, something that plagued them against the Baltimore Ravens. However, Cleveland may have upset the Ravens a few weeks back, but they are by no means equal to Baltimore’s talent. Russell Wilson is not going to have two straight bad games, and he should be able to find open receivers and get Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren rolling. Pittsburgh just has so many weapons and they haven’t been utilized to their fullest potential yet. The Browns lost Deshaun Watson to an injury which probably pleased Browns fans because he has been awful since coming to Cleveland from Houston. So, replacing him is Jameis Winston and he’s absolutely a better QB. Winston now has eight games under his belt and is completing 61.4% of his passes and has tossed seven touchdowns with three interceptions. T.J. Watt should like this next stat; Winston has been sacked 12 times in eight games. With Nick Chubb sidelined Cleveland has had to lean on Jerome Ford who is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, but the Browns have not faced a defense like the Steelers.

Advantage: Pittsburgh

Defense vs. Defense

The Browns once had a decent defense but that is no more. Sure, they have Myles Garrett, but I believe he is highly overrated and in no way deserved Defensive Player of the Year last year. That award belongs to our own T.J. Watt who got robbed of what he so much deserved. Pittsburgh’s defense has guys stepping up everywhere making them extremely dangerous. Nick Herbig and Payton Wilson made big plays last week and Herbig was only starting because of an injury to Alex Highsmith. The Steelers are excellent at playing the “next man up.” Garrett does have seven sacks on the season but just 21 tackles. Cleveland has just two interceptions on the season.

Advantage: Pittsburgh (in a major way)

Intangibles

The Steelers are like this season’s version of the Detroit Lions. Road or home, they can win either way. Mike Tomlin on a short week MUST ensure that his team does not take the Browns lightly. Baltimore did that and lost. After all this is a rivalry game and in contests like this, teams often take it up a notch. On paper, this game should be a joke. With a victory, the Steelers can put heavy duty pressure on the Baltimore Ravens who play in Los Angeles on Monday night against the Chargers. A Pittsburgh victory coupled with a Chargers victory could very well bury Baltimore’s hopes of winning the division. 

Advantage: Pittsburgh

Prediction

The Steelers and their five-game winning streak make the short trip across state lines for their one and only Thursday Night Football appearance of the season. Fresh of beating the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers don’t want to get caught in a trap game as did the Ravens when they last faced the Browns. With just two wins on the season Pittsburgh doesn’t want to be victim #3. Alex Highsmith will most likely not play but not to worry Steelers fans because Nick Herbig filled in quite nicely last weekend. Other than that Pittsburgh is healthy and wanting to score some touchdowns after a six-field goal day the week before.

Steelers 34 Browns 12.