We’ve already reached the quarter(ish) mark of the 2026 NFL regular season with Week 4 upon us. As Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell likes to point out annually, this is the time of year when we start to really figure out what the identity of each team is after a month full of data.
The week kicks off Thursday night with an AFC North bout between the 2-1 Cleveland Browns and 2-1 Pittsburgh Steelers. I think it’s fair to wonder if either of these teams can be seriously considered a contender.
The Steelers
probably have the better resumé with wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals, but sandwiched between those wins is a 20-3 loss to a New England Patriots team that has looked terrible in its other two games.
The Browns, on the other hand, notched narrow wins over the Buccaneers and Panthers, but started off the season by getting boatraced by the Jacksonville Jaguars, 34-10.
It’s never easy to win on a shortened week, but both teams have an opportunity to show that their early success is for real, and their one slip-up was just that—a slip-up.
Here’s who our staff is picking for Thursday night’s game between the Steelers and Browns. If you don’t see them below, click here for our Week 4 Thursday night picks between the Steelers and Browns.
And if you want to watch the game, here’s the game-day information you need:
Date: Thursday, Oct 1, 2026
When: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: Huntington Bank Field — Cleveland, OH
TV: Prime Video
Streaming: Prime Video, Twitch
