It’s the second go-around between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, as the two AFC North rivals face off in Week 8. These two teams saw each other all the way back in Week 1 and the game ended in a 21-21 tie. Could we possibly see two teams tie with each other twice in one season? That remains to be seen, but what we do know is that the Steelers are playing really good football and sitting atop the division with a 3-2-1 record. The Steelers are coming off their bye week and seem to be one week removed from getting Le’Veon Bell back. For the Browns, they’re coming off a tough 26-23 loss to the Buccaneers where Chandler Catanzaro nailed a game-winning 59-yard field goal in overtime. That loss puts the Browns at a 2-4-1 record and last in the division.
Browns vs. Steelers Odds
The Steelers are at home in this one and favored at -8. Pittsburgh is just 1-2 playing at home this season, while the Browns are still searching for their first road win on the season. The Browns are a much different team with Baker Mayfield behind center who wasn’t the starter for them in Week 1 as they were still rolling with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. The total for this game is listed at 50.
Spread: Steelers -8
Total: 50
Browns vs. Steelers Head to Head
After the Browns decided to ship Carlos Hyde off to the Jaguars for a 2019 fifth-round pick, rookie Nick Chubb saw his first game as a starter and carried the ball 18 times for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers. The workload should only continue to increase for Chubb as Duke Johnson remains more of the passing down back. Pittsburgh ranks 11th best against the league allowing 97.8 rushing yards per game, so we’ll see if Chubb can keep that momentum going again this week. This could be James Conner’s last week as the feature back in Pittsburgh if Le’Veon Bell does decide to return after the trade deadline has passed. If that stays true, then Conner could have another nice game against the Browns, who he ripped apart in their first meeting for 135 rushing yards and 2 TD’s on 31 carries. He also tallied up 5 receptions for 57 yards, as the Browns are extremely vulnerable against the run allowing 134.7 rushing yards per game, ranking them 28th in the entire league.
Browns vs. Steelers Stats
Despite the Steelers bye week, Antonio Brown is tied for second in the NFL with 6 reception TD’s on the season. Brown saw a lot of coverage from rookie Denzel Ward in Week 1 who kept Brown to 9 catches, 93 yards, and a touchdown. That is considered a good game for a corner when you’re covering the best receiver in the league. Ward also picked off QB Ben Roethlisberger twice in Week 1, something Big Ben will surely have in the back of his head going into Sunday’s matchup.
Browns vs. Steelers News
Bell told ESPN a few weeks ago that he would report to the Steelers facilities between Week 7 and 8. Well, heading into Week 8’s matchup and still no Le’Veon so we’ll see if the RB finally reports after the October 31 trade deadline. Conner has been very productive for the Steelers, but this team is a whole different animal when they have Bell in the backfield.
Browns vs. Steelers Predictions
We’re choosing the home team in this one, Steelers taking down the Browns 35-17 in this AFC North matchup.
