No “trap” as Steelers prepare for important rematch with Browns
Make no mistake: the next time the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns face off, the result will be different. That’s a topic I and Brian E. Roach discussed during the most recent SCU Podcast, as the Steelers navigate their fourth-straight AFC North division game on the schedule after having none before the month of November.
The rematch with the Cleveland Browns takes place just two weeks after a shocking result at Huntington Bank Stadium, which saw the Browns walk out with a 24-19 upset of the Steelers. The Browns had entered the game a two-win team and only an underdog of three points. The oddsmakers saw both offenses as futile, believing that poor play and lousy weather conditions might make for a 36.0 over/under.
This time around, the Steelers are coming off of their best offensive game since the 2018 season. The Browns, likewise, have broken their streak of being unable to score at least 20 points in a game, dropping 32 in a loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. For this matchup, it’s worth exploring special promotions like no deposit free bets, as Pittsburgh is currently set as a seven-point favorite at home.
What has changed in two weeks, you may ask? And why might this game have a different outcome?
I know that a lot of fans are looking ahead to the “tough” Steelers schedule to close out the 2024 season. Following the Browns matchup this Sunday, the Steelers will travel for back-to-back road games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens, before returning home for back-to-back games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. Many times people will chime in that a game against a three-win team would be a “trap” as the Steelers could be looking ahead to their nearest division foe (Baltimore) as well as conference frontrunners in the Chiefs and Eagles.
However, with the Cleveland game still fresh in their memory, the old division rivalry is back to being a bitter feud.
Browns DE Myles Garrett hasn’t been short of words to describe his disdain for the Steelers, and especially his main rival in each year’s Defensive Player of the Year voting, T.J. Watt:
“I was really focused on going out there and playing the very best ball I could. But, yeah, I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy. I’m the No. 1 edge defender. That was a statement I was intending to make, and I think I made.”
Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, recorded three sacks in the win over the Steelers. Watt finished the game without a sack as the Steelers lost consecutive games to the Browns for the first time since the 2000 season.
However, the words didn’t end there, as Steelers WR George Pickens – who ended up in the stands after a scuffle with Browns CB Greg Newsome on the game’s final play – took a shot at Cleveland postgame:
“Conditions played a huge, huge part in today’s game. I don’t really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. The conditions kinda saved them.”
Those conditions were cold and windy, with snow flurries pummeling the players to the point of low visibility and disappearing boundary lines on the field as the game progressed. Pickens should’ve been part of a game-sealing pass from Justin Fields, but officials made no decision on the controversial contact that saw the Steelers give the ball back on a shanked punt and led to the Browns game-winning drive.
The Steelers bounced back big against the Bengals on Sunday, in similar cold and windy conditions minus the snowy atmosphere. That game saw enough controversy from Pickens as well, as the receiver was flagged multiple times for various unsportsmanlike fouls, yet, the officials also waffled on major before the pass contact that led to a Bengals pick-six and the first points of the game.
Pickens responded with his own touchdown grab on the next series, as Russell Wilson ascended to the second-most passing yards he’s had in a single game in his career. The Steelers dropped 44 points on the Bengals, which should indicate they not only believe they have an offense that can score, but can keep up with anyone in the league.
Keeping up shouldn’t be necessary, and could be easier in less icy conditions at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, where the forecast is 51 degrees and sunny. On an equal playing field the Steelers offensive line knows they’ll have to neutralize Garrett, but on the other side of the ball, Pittsburgh’s defense will be looking for payback as well.
Watt came out of the gate motivated against Joe Burrow and the Bengals, getting to the quarterback twice, including one of those sacks forcing a lost fumble. His counterpart, Alex Highsmith, is slated to return from injury after missing the last several games. Even if Highsmith isn’t 100%, his substitute Nick Herbig has added splash plays and had a forced fumble of his own last Sunday.
The Bengals were also sure to invoke enough bad blood to keep the Steelers from looking past the Browns. Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Hilton, and others were actively talking smack and reminding Pittsburgh that this was AFC North football. Now returning to play in front of their home fans against a Cleveland team that punched them in the mouth – and bragged about it – should incite another dog fight between division rivals.
For the Steelers, they can climb to ten wins and a 3-1 record in the division with a win on Sunday. With Baltimore on a bye week, a Steelers win would secure a full two-game lead on the Ravens with a rematch set in the coming weeks to control their destiny of winning the AFC North, and hosting a home playoff game, for the first time since the 2000 season.
With that much at stake, there’s no reason to believe that Mike Tomlin’s team won’t be fully prepared to take care of business, and not be “trapped” when they take on the Browns this weekend.
