Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Week 11 Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football in an AFC North battle. The Steelers won their fourth in a row with a 17-12 win over the Rams on Sunday. At 5-4, they’re suddenly a team with a future. The Browns are trying to get there and look for better results after a nice 19-16 win over the 6-2 Bills last week. But at 3-6, the margin for error is small, and they need this one against a streaking Steelers’ bunch.

Can Cleveland Thrive in a Role Reversal?

Before the season began, the Browns had expectations. People fancied them as contenders, despite a long run of losing. In the role of frontrunning media darlings, they fell flat on their faces with a 2-6 record to start the season. They started catching a lot of flack. Baker Mayfield was being criticized. Coach Freddie Kitchens was being questioned if he was the right man for the job. The Browns started being derided. And maybe they’re more comfortable in this realm—where they aren’t disoriented by the blinding light of high expectations.

And we did see some better things against Buffalo. Baker Mayfield showed he could manage an offense, rather than living or dying as a gunslinger. He connected well with his weaponry, with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry actually looking something like the 1-2 combo punch they were supposed to be. Nick Chubb was again over 100 yards on the ground and could be the catalyst for this offense to start going on a little run. It was by no means explosive, but in its own way, impressive how Cleveland manufactured significant offense against a Bills team that was giving up very little heading into the game.

Which Defense is More Likely to Thrive?

There were some good signs from a struggling Cleveland defense on Sunday. They didn’t really rush the passer or get any turnovers but were still stout. At this level, against this level of offense, the Browns’ defense can look pretty good. Some of their weaknesses are more camouflaged. But the run-stop was better on Sunday, and so was their overall ability to limit big plays. The Pittsburgh defense, however, may be the more compelling part of this matchup. Seeing them play so rigid against some good offenses like last week makes one wonder how things will go for the Browns’ offense this week.

The Pittsburgh defense has started to hit its highest notes, and they completely quelled the Rams’ offense on Sunday, leading the team to victory despite a lack of support on the other side of the ball. This unit has a lot of swagger. They have been very rigid lately, but in a game where points might be precious, they are making a lot of game-changing plays. The addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick is really paying off. On Sunday, he returned a fumble for a TD, while recording another pick as the Rams tried to take the lead late. The pass-rush is thick, the middle is making a lot of plays, while the secondary is getting turnovers and curtailing big gains through the air.

Pittsburgh’s Firepower Issue

As the Steelers continue what they’re hoping is a Lazarus-like rise from the ashes, a sticking point could be an offense that hasn’t really recovered from their losses in personnel. And we’re not just talking about the guys they’ve lost in recent seasons, but not having James Conner in there hurt. JuJu Smith-Schuster should be getting healthier and be more effective. Mason Rudolph is coming off his best game of the season, making a lot of clutch plays to keep the Steelers a nose ahead against the Rams. But with Conner’s status iffy, Smith-Schuster underwhelming as a lead-receiver, and a thin cast of playmakers, the points aren’t always easy to come by. The defense has been great, but all it takes is a few big plays, maybe a special teams or defensive score, and then you need an offense to produce. For this game, they better get back to putting up totals in the high-twenties, as an output in the teens might not cut it this week.