The Pittsburgh Steelers head into Week 4 with a golden opportunity to get to 3-1 on the season, but they do so in going into a place and situation that has been their house of horror.
The Steelers are 0-4 on Thursday night games against the Cleveland Browns, and their last win in Cleveland came in 2021. Will they be able to get the monkey off their back in their first short-week game under Mike McCarthy? Our staff weighs in.
Ryan Parish (1-2): Stop me if this sounds familiar: The Steelers are coming
off an impressive win, and are now looking at a Thursday night game against Cleveland they should have no business losing. Well, turns out the Steelers are 0-4 all time in Thursday Night Football games hosted in Cleveland, which happens to be the location for this game. Once again, the Steelers should be expected to win this one. Cleveland has managed a couple of ugly wins against NFC South opponents, but their offense, at least on paper, should be no match for the Pittsburgh defense. This will be a great opportunity for Mike McCathy to prove that was a problem that’s out the window with the old regime. I’m tempted to continue the reverse jinx and pick against the Steelers again this week, but I’ll dare to be openly optimistic instead. Steelers 27, Browns 17.
Austin Bechtold (2-1): The Browns are 11-1 on Thursday night at home and 4-0 against the Steelers. The Steelers are 3-16 on the road on Thursday night since 1970, the worst record of any team. Deshaun Watson is surprisingly playing well and Denzel Boston is emerging into a legitimate playmaker in his rookie season. The Steelers finally put the Joey Porter Jr. flame out, but hurts their defense long-term. The Browns pass rush isn’t as good as years past without Garrett, but something always feels weird about these games in Cleveland. All signs on paper say to pick the Steelers. Until I see it, I don’t believe it. Browns 17, Steelers 16.
Joey Bray (2-1): We all know how the Steelers perform on Thursday Night in Cleveland, but this simply has to be the year they break through. It’s a new regime, and McCarthy is 17-8 in his career on Thursday Night Football. There may not be a better game on the schedule to prove to the fanbase that this is a different Steelers team, one that is capable of beating an AFC North opponent that they should be able to handle on the road. I still don’t have a ton of confidence in the long term upside of this team , but their performance against Cincinnati in Week 3 gives me hope that they can do enough offensively to win an ugly one in Cleveland. I’ll take the Steelers to win in a close one and move to 3-1. Steelers 20, Browns 17.
Mike Nicastro (3-0): The Browns are always a tough matchup on Thursday nights, but missing two offensive linemen could make things difficult against Pittsburgh’s defense. Jaylen Warren should once again serve as the Steelers’ bell cow, with his production on the ground opening opportunities in the passing game. Look for Michael Pittman Jr. to find the end zone for the first time in a Steelers uniform. On the other side, Deshaun Watson will throw two interceptions, in what could be the beginning of an early-season fluke tour in Cleveland. Steelers 20, Browns 16
Ryland Bickley (1-2): It’s a Thursday Night Football game in Cleveland — part of me wants to throw all my analysis out the door, as historically, all signs point to an ugly Browns win. Still, maybe a new head coach for each team this season leads to some trends being broken. While the Steelers are far from a fixed team, they are trending upwards after a strong win over the Cincinnati Bengals. And Pittsburgh matches up well against the now Myles Garrett-less Browns, who also have some issues on the offensive line and could struggle against a vaunted Steelers pass rush. Some things don’t change. I’m expecting an ugly game with few offensive fireworks. But while I might regret this later, I think the Steelers can come out on top. Steelers 17, Browns 13.
Jarrett Bailey (2-1): The Steelers are historically terrible on Thursday nights. Mike McCarthy is historically great on Thursdays (16-6 record). Deshaun Watson has never beaten the Steelers (0-3). Some streak will come to an end. Pittsburgh is the better team. A new regime will (hopefully) put an end to this abysmal Thursday night track record. Steelers 23, Browns 13.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
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