Thursday Night Football Preview: Browns vs Steelers

Can Browns vs Steelers be a rivalry again?

Browns vs Steelers: QB battle

Baker is starting to show signs of his rookie season with his playmaking ability and lack of turnovers. In Baker"s last three games, he has 4 TD"s, 1 INT, and 705 passing yards. Baker started finding his groove with distributing the football to his playmakers. Mason Rudolph has been solid in his last three games as well, 4 TD"s, 2 INT"s, and 684 passing yards. Mason has been a reliable, game managing quarterback since he came back from his concussion against the Ravens. He is still young like Baker, but the Browns defense needs to get after him.

EDGE: Browns

Browns vs Steelers: RB breakdown

The running back edge should favor the Browns. Nick Chubb has been the MVP of this team so far. He has 919 yards rushing so far, and the only other Browns player to do this in nine games is Jim Brown. James Connor has struggled with staying healthy this year but has been stable for the most part. Connor is the dual-threat RB the Steelers like with 380 yards rushing and 236 yards receiving. The Browns saw Kareem Hunt debut against the Bills, and immediate dividends came from it. Hunt caught a key third-down pass from Baker on the final drive to win the game.

EDGE: Browns

Browns vs Steelers: WR dual

The top two receivers for both teams are very strong. Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry for the Browns. For the Steelers, Juju Smith-Schuster, and James Washington. Baker is still working on his chemistry with Odell, but Jarvis was on fire against the Bills catching nine balls and having a TD. Juju is still learning to be a #1 WR, but Washington has seemed to be the go-to guy for Rudolph recently. Washington has ten catches and 159 yards in the past two games. The wild card here is Hollywood Higgins. This is the most trusted player on the Browns when it comes to Baker and trust. This started back in training camp of his rookie season when they took second-team reps together.

EDGE: slightly Browns

Browns vs Steelers: Front seven

The defensive front will probably be where the game is won and lost. Which team will get the most pressure on the QB and stop the rushing attack. Both of these lines have elite players and freak athletes. The Browns have one of the best edge rushers in the game in Myles Garrett. He has ten sacks so far and is a league leader in hurries. The interior linemen are no joke either. The Browns have Sheldon Richardson, who is coming off of a highly graded PFF game of over 90 points. On the Steelers, perennial Pro Bowler, Cameron Heyward, who has a solid five and a half sacks so far this year.

EDGE: Push

The Steelers have one of the best edge linebackers in the game in TJ Watt. He has nine and a half sacks and two interceptions. This game will come down to how the offensive tackles hold up for the game. Alvin Dupree has come into his own over the past couple of seasons. He is a perfect compliment to Watt. Dupree is long, athletic, and fast. He was a problem last year when these two teams played. The Browns are pretty athletic, too, at the linebacker position. Joe Schobert is putting together another Pro Bowl type season. Rookie, Mack Wilson, is learning under fire and starting to perform better each week. Wilson had his first sack against Buffalo and was all over the field.

EDGE: Steelers

Browns vs Steelers: Special Teams

In using statistical breakdown, the Browns are sixth in the league, and the Steelers are 17th, per Football Outsiders. Austin Seibert has started his rookie season pretty hot when it comes to field-goal tries. He is currently 16/16 with a long of 48 yards. The only issue so far is that he has missed three extra points out of 16 tries. Chris Boswell has been almost as good as Seibert on FG tries. He is a solid 18/19 with a long of 51 yards. Boswell has not missed a single XP out of his 18 attempts. On paper, this looks pretty even, but with the possible swirling winds of First Energy Stadium, it could be interesting what happens. It has been snowing up in NorthEast Ohio for the past couple of days, so it should be a real test for these two units.

EDGE: Push

Final thoughts: Prediction

Both teams enter this game on Thursday in playoff mode. The Browns need to win out virtually, and the Steelers are currently in the wild card. The Browns need to build off of what they did well against the Bills and apply that to another good defensive team. The Steelers come into the game with much confidence during their three-game winning streak. This will be a battle like we"ve been waiting for since the Browns came back into the league. This game will turn a new chapter on this rivalry and should not disappoint. I like the Browns in this one since they are at home. Browns 24- Steelers 17.

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