The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cleveland, Ohio in a matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Both squads need victories to maintain pace with the Baltimore Ravens, but even more so to bolster their chances at locking in Wild-Card positions later in the season.
No team needs a victory more than the Browns. Cleveland comes into the game with a record of 3-6 and a fairly winnable slate afterward. At the onset of the season, the Browns were hoping at a run for the Super Bowl, but now their locker room is feeling the pressure of a losing season, and a win-at-all-costs mentality to get them into the postseason. The Browns are lead by a strong rushing attack led by RB Nick Chubb, who ranks third in total rushing yards. Baker Mayfield has been turnover-prone this season and faces a stiff secondary on Thursday.
Pittsburgh enters the game looking to extend their win streak and has relied on their defense this season. The Steelers rank 12th this season in total defense and are backed by star CB Minkah Fitzpatrick who is tied for the league lead in interceptions. After the injury to Ben Roethlisberger to begin the season, QB Mason Rudolph has turned the offense into a moderately effective threat and holds a respectable 11:4 Touchdown to Interception ratio. One wild card for the Black and Gold is their RB James Connor is questionable to play and will be an immediate impact player for them if he can go.
Pittsburgh has not lost in Cleveland since the 2014 season. Both teams enter needing victories to keep their playoff chances alive.
The Browns opened as 2.5-point favorites. The action can be caught on FOX, NFL Network, and Amazon Prime Video at 8:20 PM ET.