8:15 PM EST, Prime Video – Line: Browns -5, Over/Under: 38.5
Bitter rivals renew acquaintances once again, as the new-look Pittsburgh Steelers look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat, while the Cleveland Browns hope to put last weekend’s collapse behind them, in this primetime battle from FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite owning a share of the division lead through the first two games of this new era of football in Western Pennsylvania following the retirement of (longtime Quarterback) Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers (1-1, T-1st in AFC North) appear to be very much a work in progress, particularly on the offensive side of things, where they’re still trying to carve out an identity post Big Ben. Pittsburgh entered the campaign with a competition at Quarterback, as (Head Coach) Mike Tomlin had no shortage of options at his disposal, though the quality of those options is certainly up for debate. Choosing between (incumbent Backup) Mason Rudolph, (former second overall pick) Mitch Trubisky, and (rookie) Kenny Pickett was a decision that lingered throughout training camp, with the longtime skipper eventually placing the controls of the attack in Trubisky’s hands. After the Bears selected him well ahead of both Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in the 2017 NFL Draft, the young passer washed out among the tide of dysfunction in the Windy City, spending last season rehabbing his image as a backup in Buffalo. Easily the most accomplished of the contestants to succeed Roethlisberger, Trubisky owned a 29-21 record (.580) as the starter in Chicago, guiding them to the playoffs on two occasions despite being benched multiple times. Still just 28-years old, he possesses a mobility that his predecessor lacked altogether in his later years, opening up possibilities from a playcalling perspective that simply weren’t available, while his starting experience has given him a leg up on Pickett, whom the club drafted twentieth overall last spring, at least for the time being. So, how has the Offense performed under Trubisky thus far, you ask? Well, if we’re being kind, it is still taking shape. Through two games, the Steelers’ attack has been aided greatly by the efforts of their Defense, which has amassed SIX takeaways, including a whopping FIVE in their 23-20 stunner over (reigning AFC Champion) Cincinnati. Even when gifted with excellent field position, Pittsburgh hasn’t done much with it, averaging just 18.5 points per game (19th Overall), while netting a mere 4.6 yards per passing attempt (31st Overall) and another 3.8 yards per carry (23rd Overall). Furthermore, they’ve converted a middling 40.0% of their third downs (16th Overall) and scored a touchdown on two of their four red zone opportunities (19th Overall). As for Trubisky, he’s completed 59.2% of his passes for 362 yards on a mere 4.59 net yards per attempt, with a pair of touchdowns and an interception.
Indeed, last weekend’s 17-14 loss at home to the Patriots was an arduous affair for the Quarterback, who struggled to find much of a rhythm against Bill Belichick’s defense. After punting on their first drive of the afternoon, Trubisky was intercepted on a pass deep down the middle of the field, though the hosts returned the favor in kind as (Pro-Bowl Safety) Minkah Fitzpatrick picked off Mac Jones three plays later. From there, Pittsburgh could muster just a pair of field goals over their next three possessions, before Trubisky guided them seventy-five yards downfield in nine plays, finding (Sophomore Tight End) Pat Freiermuth for an eight-yard strike, followed by a successful two-point conversion toss to (Wideout) Diontae Johnson. Unfortunately, they could produce just twelve yards of offense the rest of the way, meeting defeat for the first time this season. In the end, Tomlin’s troops totaled a scant 243 yards of offense on sixteen first downs, converting 8-of-15 on third down and possessing the football for only 26:24. Trubisky completed 21-of-33 passe, but for only 168 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while suffering three sacks for a loss of sixteen yards. The Defense, which will be without (reigning Defensive Player of the Year) T.J. Watt for quite a while after he tore his pectoral muscle last weekend, relinquished 376 total yards, including 124 versus the run. The Steelers were uncharacteristically poor against the run last year, yielding an NFL-worst 146.1 yards per game on the ground, and it remains to be seen how playing without the borderline dominant Edge-Rusher will affect them moving forward. This could prove to be particularly problematic as they face the Browns on a short week; Cleveland has ranked fourth and third in rushing offense over the last two seasons, though were relegated below 100 yards in each of their two meetings with the Steelers in 2021. Under Tomlin’s watch, this has been nothing short of a one-sided rivalry, with Pittsburgh owning a commanding 24-6-1 record (.774) straight up against Cleveland since the 50-year-old arrived back in 2007. However, it’s been a bit of a different story against the spread, with his troops marshalling a 17-13-1 record (.548), including a 1-2 mark both straight up and against the spread in three Thursday night encounters. With that said, on the rare occasion in which the Steelers are underdogs in this matchup, which is the case tonight, they’ve been near perfect in covering four out of five contests and winning three of them outright.
Meanwhile, after an ugly offseason that was dominated by the ongoing saga surrounding their new Quarterback, Deshaun Watson, the Browns (1-1, T-1st in AFC North) must be happy to simply be playing football again. Of course, the outcome of Watson’s legal drama led to the Pro-Bowler being suspended for the first eleven games of this season after he was signed to a lucrative $230 million contract upon his acquisition via trade, which also cost the franchise a hefty bounty of draft picks, including firsts in 2022, 2023, and 2024, along with a third and a pair of fourths within that timeframe. Additionally, the 27-year-old’s contract is 100% guaranteed, drawing the ire of a number of teams around the league. However, it’s going to be quite a while before Cleveland sees their new franchise passer on the field, though that doesn’t mean that they can’t win without him, at least in the short term. (Head Coach) Kevin Stefanski and (General Manager) Andrew Berry signed (veteran journeyman) Jacoby Brissett in the offseason to serve as steward until Watson’s return, which from the looks of things thus far, appears to be a good bit of business by the Browns. Playing for his fourth different team and third in as many years, the 30-year-old does possess the requisite starting experience to keep Cleveland afloat, particularly during an opening stretch that appears to be far from arduous; 15-24 (.384) in just over six seasons with thirty-eight touchdowns opposed to thirteen interceptions and a career passer rating of 83.2, the club opted to roll with Brissett rather than make another trade for a more established option, though they were undoubtedly hindered in doing so by their lack of assets. But getting back to that schedule, the Browns open the campaign with the Panthers, Jets, Steelers, and Falcons, with only Pittsburgh sporting a winning record from a year ago. Stefanski’s troops earned a karmic 26-24 victory over the Panthers two weeks ago, quieting (former Quarterback) Baker Mayfield, whom they unceremoniously jettisoned after acquiring both Watson and Brissett in the spring. After turning it over on downs on the opening drive and punting on their next two, Cleveland got things going in the second quarter, outscoring the hosts 17-7 en route to halftime. Brissett & Co would stretch their lead to 23-14, but nonetheless found themselves trailing 24-23 following a flurry from Mayfield. Fortunately, Brissett proved to be cool under pressure; with 1:13 left to play, the veteran fell victim to a roughing the passer penalty to move the football to the 40-yard line, only to find (young Receiver) Donovan Peoples-Jones for a 13-yard completion to midfield, followed by a nine-yard strike to (Pro-Bowl Wideout) Amari Cooper to advance to the 40-yard line. From there (Place Kicker) Cade York drilled home a 58-yard field goal that proved to be the game-winner.
Following that victory, common belief was that the Browns would carry that momentum into their home opener with an eye on starting the season 2-0 for the first time since the franchise returned to the NFL back in 1999. For the bulk of their matchup with the Jets, they did precisely that, dominating the affair through the first three quarters of play. Cleveland scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, including a marathon 14-play, 90-yard drive culminating in a four-yard jaunt into the end zone courtesy of (Pro-Bowl Tailback) Nick Chubb. Though the two sides would trade punches throughout the second and third periods, the hosts raced out to what appeared to be a commanding 30-17 lead following two more rushing touchdowns from Chubb, with only 1:55 left in the game. However, the defense utterly collapsed during that window, relinquishing seventy-five yards and a 66-yard touchdown in just two plays on the ensuing drive, while recovering the onside kick, which of course led to another touchdown strike in short order. Now trailing 31-30 with only twenty-two seconds left and the football at their own 25-yard line, Brissett couldn’t do much with it, scrambling twenty-one yards out of bounds to stop the clock, only to be picked off on a pass deep downfield intended for Cooper, ending the affair altogether. Indeed, there was no shortage of Browns supporters at FirstEnergy Stadium scratching their heads after that display; Cleveland totaled 405 yards on a whopping twenty-nine first downs, rushing for 184 yards on thirty-seven carries, converting 8-of-12 third downs, and possessing the football for 32:14. However, the Defense crumbled spectacularly when pressed late, yielding 128 of 402 total yards on Gang Green’s last two drives of the afternoon. (Jets Quarterback) Joe Flacco, a frequent adversary from his time in Baltimore, torched them for 307 yards and four touchdowns on 26-of-44 passing, despite being pressed into service as a journeyman backup. With that said, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Browns, for apart from that late interception with the deck stacked against him, Brissett played well, completing an efficient 22-of-27 passes for 229 yards and a score, while rushing for another forty-three yards on six attempts. Furthermore, the ground game continued to be this team’s strength, with Chubb totaling eighty-seven yards and three touchdowns, while (fellow Tailback) Kareem Hunt added another fifty-eight yards on thirteen carries. It was also important to see Cooper (9 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown) develop a good rapport with his Quarterback, for after a few years in which star Receiver and Quarterback were rarely on the same page, this showing was a breath of fresh air. Looking at tonight’s matchup with the Steelers, the Browns are 2-3 straight-up and 1-4 against the spread since hiring Stefanski back in 2020, though that lone cover was the biggest as Cleveland embarrassed their hated foes in a 48-37 triumph at (formerly) Heinz Field in the 2020 Playoffs. With that said, his team is 0-2 in meetings in which they are favored, though Thursday nights has been kind to them recently, with two victories in as many years.