Divisional games always mean more in the NFL, especially in the AFC North, and even though the Cleveland Browns are 2-8, a win over the 8-2 Pittsburgh Steelers would be a little sweeter than just another win, even one over another good team.
“Hopefully, it would help some, but we dug ourselves in the hole here, so any win will help, but definitely just for the city of Cleveland, we definitely would like to get this one,” RB Nick Chubb said Tuesday via the Browns’ YouTube channel.
The Browns historically haven’t had much success against the Steelers, but it’s still a rivalry, and Browns fans have pure disdain for the Steelers. Even with how bad Cleveland has been this season, a win over Pittsburgh would mean something for the team and the city, and it’ll still be a raucous environment Thursday night at Huntington Bank Field.
Even though the two teams have inverse records, it still won’t be an easy game for the Steelers. All divisional games are battles, and with Cleveland having some extra motivation to get a win and the game being on the road, Pittsburgh is still going to have to bring its “A” game to come out on top and move to 9-2.
A win for the Steelers would clinch another winning record, extending Mike Tomlin’s streak of having a non-losing record to 18 seasons. But the Steelers look to be in prime position to make a playoff run this season, as they’re up two games in the loss column over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North and control their own destiny relative to the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Browns showed they can beat good teams when they upset Baltimore earlier this season, and they’ll look to do the same thing against the Steelers on Thursday. While the Steelers gave themselves some breathing room in the AFC North, a loss to Cleveland would negate a lot of the positives that came out of the win over Baltimore, and the Steelers can’t allow the Browns to get any sort of momentum early in the game.
Even with Cleveland struggling, QB Jameis Winston has looked good outside of a three-interception game against the Los Angeles Chargers, and he’s coming off a 395-yard game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Pittsburgh will need to limit him through the air, but Nick Chubb also needs to be accounted for, especially if the forecast holds and it becomes a snow game. I don’t want to call this a trap game and given the history between the two teams and the fact they know each other so well I don’t think it will be, but it’s a game that the Steelers need to show up for despite Cleveland’s struggles this season.
