After beating the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland, the Pittsburgh Steelers are officially on to their bye week. They’ll get some much-needed time off after starting the season 3-1. Despite their issues, they’re at the top of the AFC North. Also, with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals dealing with injury issues, the Steelers seem to be sitting pretty in their division. Coming out of their bye, they’ll play the Cleveland Browns, but Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t think that game will be a problem.
“I said it’s our second bye in a row…” Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his Footbahlin’ podcast. “I don’t foresee a big issue with the Browns.”
Currently, the Browns are 1-3, and they’ve gotten blown out in two of their three losses. With Joe Flacco at quarterback, they’ve looked rough. Like most of the past two decades, the Browns are once again trying to rebuild.
However, they shouldn’t be overlooked. Roethlisberger spent almost all of his career beating up the Browns, but Cleveland’s done a slightly better job against Pittsburgh in recent years. Since 2022, the Steelers’ first year post-Roethlisberger, the Browns are 3-3 against the Steelers. They’ve split the series every year.
The Browns have already shown that they shouldn’t be underestimated this season. In Week 3, they played the Green Bay Packers, who looked like one of the best teams in the league at that point. The Packers were heavy favorites, but the Browns pulled off an upset, winning 13-10.
Their defense was a big reason they beat the Packers. Currently, they have the number one-rated total defense in the league. That could prove to be a problem for the Steelers. Their offense had a solid showing in Week 4, but they haven’t shown much consistency yet.
Therefore, the Browns’ defense could give them fits, especially Myles Garrett. He’s one of the best pass rushers in the league, and he could leave Aaron Rodgers feeling very sore after their matchup.
While the Browns have a history of being one of the worst teams in the NFL, any team can win on any given Sunday. If the Steelers aren’t careful, they could drop a winnable game coming out of their bye. The Steelers have a great opportunity to build a lead at the top of the AFC North. They shouldn’t squander it by dropping their matchup against the Browns.
