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A torrential downpour hit Pittsburgh early Sunday, and though the rain is expected to stop around noon, the forecast shows it could start up again during the game. The field will be sloppy, and with the Steelers boasting the league’s No. 3 defense by DVOA on one side and an offense depleted by injuries on the other, this was already a matchup that seemed headed for a low total. Take the Under.
Based solely on talent available, it’s easy to see why the Browns are favored. The Steelers will be without JuJu Smith-Schuster, Maurkice Pouncey and likely James Conner, and they’ll start their third-string QB. But this is going to be a very emotional game in front of a frenzied Pittsburgh crowd, and that doesn’t bode well for Freddie Kitchens, who has been overmatched in far friendlier conditions. The Steelers and their No. 3 defense by DVOA in a revenge game against a hated rival with playoffs possibly on the line? Take the points.
The Browns have won three straight and over their last four games, Baker Mayfield has thrown eight touchdowns against one interception. They have two real good running backs and so much more offensive talent than Pittsburgh. The Steelers will miss center Maurkice Pouncey a lot in this one.
With QB Devlin Hodges getting the start, Pittsburgh's offense will begin to look formidable. That's a huge step up from what we've seen with Mason Rudolph under center. But I don't think it will be enough to knock off the Browns, whose offense has been hitting its stride over the last three games.
You can't dream up a bigger revenge spot than this after how the Thursday night game between these two teams ended. Pittsburgh will throw a different dynamic at the Browns defense with the mobile Devlin Hodges under center, and the Browns rush defense could already struggle against a Pittsburgh run game that found its footing last week. The Cleveland offense feels like it's rounding into form but really only played well against a broken Dolphins defense. The Browns' discipline issues will come out again in an emotional game, and there's no way the Steelers let this team sweep them by coming to Pittsburgh and getting a win. The wrong team is favored here.
The Browns are coming off a fantastic win in which all their key players were involved. They resembled a playoff team with their dominance and now face the Steelers, who have had a rugged season while playing above their abilities thanks to good coaching. But Pittsburgh's QB performance has me on the Browns.
They meet again, just two weeks after a brawl highlighted (or lowlighted) by DE Myles Garrett’s helmet-swinging toward QB Mason Rudolph. While the Browns’ star remains suspended, the ineffective Rudolph might as well have been missing last Sunday. He was replaced in-game by rookie Devlin Hodges. If Rudolph plays, his frame of mind could be fragile. If he doesn’t, Cleveland will tee off on Hodges. Fresh off a steamrolling of Miami, the Browns hold the momentum and are 4-1-1 lately in the series.
Team Injuries

















