Cleveland Browns: 5 Bold predictions for Wild Card weekend

5 Bold predictions for Cleveland Browns playoff game

A win in Week 17 sent the Cleveland Browns into the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season. That year, they played the Pittsburgh Steelers, and once again in 2021, they will face the same hated AFC North rivals.

It will also be a rematch from Week 17 as the Browns had to beat Pittsburgh to get into the playoffs. The 24-22 win sealed their spot in the postseason but they did so against backup players as the Steelers rested many of their starters.

Now, they have to play the same team again with Ben Roethlisberger, T.J. Watt, and company back and well-rested. Here, we look ahead to the game with five bold predictions for the Cleveland Browns.

5. Defense shows signs of life

Nothing has been more infuriating this season than watching the Browns defense try and stop anyone. They have struggled in every facet of the game and even with a 24-9 lead in the fourth quarter, no one felt safe.

It wasn’t long before that fear was justified as the Cleveland defense was picked apart by MasoN Rudolph and needed a stop on a two-point conversion to seal the win 24-22. Now, the nerves are at an all-time high since Big Ben and the rest of the starters will be back.

But in this first bold prediction, the Browns defense will actually show some signs of life. One issue they had in Week 17 was the fact that they were down some of their starters as well. Some of them should return, and even Greedy Williams has hinted at trying to come back. They won’t shut down the Steelers, but look for them to get a couple of key stops and turnovers to make this one a game.