The Cleveland Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday. Both teams are 2-1, but the trends have not favored the Steelers on Thursday Night Football for awhile. Can Deshaun Watson and company make it three in a row? We’re starting to see more people pick the Browns after the momentum they’ve built.
Here is what the national media is saying about the Week 4 game between the Browns and Steelers:
NFL.com (Various)
Why Dan picked the Steelers: I know the recent history of the Steelers’ trips to Cleveland — it’s
the stuff of nightmares for Pittsburgh — but I’m not ready to trust the Browns’ offense. It ranks among the bottom-five units in too many categories, including total yards, third-down conversion rate and red zone touchdown percentage. Now, I’m certainly not convinced the Steelers are a finely-tuned offensive machine, either, even after their 30-point outburst against the Bengals. Mike McCarthy’s crew was held to three points in a loss less than two weeks ago, so I’m predicting a low-scoring contest on Thursday night. If the Browns’ defense — led by second-year breakout DT Mason Graham — keeps Aaron Rodgers from ever getting comfortable, the upset will be in play. I saw too many poor throws from Deshaun Watson last week to forecast such an outcome, though, especially with injuries leaving Cleveland vulnerable on the interior of the offensive line.
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco) – Browns 21, Steelers 20
Can you believe this is a big game in the AFC North? Both teams are 2-1 and the Browns are one of the surprise teams so far. The Steelers looked good last week, beating the Bengals, but the Browns have played well against them in Cleveland. Upset special. Browns get to 3-1.
CBS Sports (John Breech) – Browns 19, Steelers 16
…The other trend here is that the city of Cleveland has basically been a black hole for the Steelers. It’s like they forget how to play football whenever they have to make the trip to Northern Ohio. The Browns have somehow won four straight home games against Pittsburgh.
And now, the Steelers have to send out their 42-year-old quarterback to start a game on just three days rest. If there’s one thing no 42-year-old ever wants to do, it’s play two NFL games in five days. I’m taking the BROWNS in an upset.
Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer) – Steelers 20, Browns 17
Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson are coming off strong home performances to help their teams win close games. The Steelers’ defense struggled while the Browns’ defense has been hot. The goal for Pittsburgh is making Cleveland one-dimensional so it can tee off on the pass rush. The Browns have just a few more issues overall around Watson.
Sporting News (Bill Bender) – Steelers 21, Browns 16
The Browns are 2-1 and have won the last four home meetings against the Steelers, which sets the stage for what should be a tight Thursday Night Football matchup. Cleveland defensive tackle Mason Graham (4.0 sacks) and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt (3.5 sacks) will be in the spotlight. Aaron Rodgers is coming off a three-TD performance, but he also has a 58.4% completion percentage. Deshaun Watson has been better at 68.4%. A lot trends in Cleveland’s favor here, but we’re still taking the Steelers.
Below are our Week 4 NFL staff picks:
