Most pundits expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to take care of business against the Cleveland Browns tonight. But not everyone. Fox Sports’ Emmanuel Acho believes the Browns pull off the upset and send the Steelers home kicking themselves.
“This is the worst situation for the Steelers…they just beat the Ravens,” Acho said on FS1’s The Facility. “And they beat the Ravens convincingly based upon how they played defensively. Meanwhile, the Browns got beat down by the Saints. So the Browns are upset, the Steelers are happy, the Steelers gotta travel on a short week. To me, this spells disaster.”
It led Acho to predict a 22-17 Browns win.
Given the AFC North rivalry, the weather, and the potential intensity of the game, many analysts who are picking the Steelers expect it to be close. A one-possession game, the type Pittsburgh is used to playing.
While Acho is sticking his neck out, and still believes in Pittsburgh overall, there’s reason for the Steelers to be on upset alert. Pittsburgh has lost four of their last five road games against Cleveland, including last year against then-rookie QB Dorain Thompson-Robinson. The Steelers are a different team since then, especially in coordinator and quarterback, but the Browns still possess a talented albeit underachieving defense.
Under QB Jameis Winston, the offense has improved and he helped lead an upset over the Baltimore Ravens earlier this year. An old-school gunslinger, he can rip big-time throws downfield and generate big plays. It comes at the cost of turnovers and he has three interceptions in three starts, all coming in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that highlights his volatile nature.
Given the difficulties of the game, a win by any means would be a good result for Pittsburgh. A big win would show their mental toughness and ability to flip the switch from one big game to the next. But history says it’ll be close and tight in the final few minutes. That’s what the Browns want. Stay in the fight until the end. If they can do that, Acho could be proven correct.
