This is why they play the games.
After an offseason chock-full of mindless talking heads in the national media spouting off (mostly negative) hot takes about the Cleveland Browns — a team they were clearly not paying close attention to — head coach Todd Monken has the boys sitting pretty at 2–1. This comes after a gutsy performance on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers in which the Browns snuck out the victory, putting them on a two-game win streak.
Fans can be forgiven if they're not exactly hanging the banner just yet, though it's clear that this team is growing under new leadership. Monken has lived through back-to-back pressure-packed games in which Browns teams of old would've wilted under the weight of it all. Instead, they've come out on top by being clutch, timely, and playing suffocating defense. That's Browns football.
Next up: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The AFC North's proverbial "golden child" is vulnerable. Despite their own 2–1 record, Pittsburgh's offense actually ranks behind Cleveland's in points. Steelers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers is showing signs of age, and the Browns may be positioned to snatch another one from grandpa after doing so in Week 17 last year.
Check back here for all things Browns–Steelers as the good guys try to make it three in a row in front of the home crowd at Huntington Bank Field.
Browns vs. Steelers Week 4
- How to watch/listen to Browns vs. Steelers
- Browns vs. Steelers injury updates
- Weather forecast for Browns vs. Steelers
- What Todd Monken’s saying
- What Deshaun Watson is saying
- 3 storylines to watch for Browns in Week 4
- Browns vs. Steelers Week 4 game prediction
How to watch/listen to Browns vs. Steelers
- Date: Thursday, October 1
- Time: 8:15 p.m. EST
- TV Network: Amazon Prime Video
- Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter)
- Radio: 850 ESPN Cleveland, 92.3 The Fan WKRK, 98.5 WNCX, 1300 AM La Mega (Español)
Browns vs. Steelers injury updates
Browns
Despite competing in a particularly taxing rumble on Sunday, the Browns were back at it on Monday for a walkthrough practice session. Cleveland's work week will be condensed due to playing on Thursday Night Football, shortening the time available for injured players to get back in time for kickoff.
Per Monday's injury report, the Browns were without starting center Elgton Jenkins, who wound up in concussion protocol despite playing all 70 offensive snaps on Sunday. Teven Jenkins missed the session as he continues to deal with a back injury that has held him out all season, and Tylan Wallace was sidelined with a knee issue.
As for limited participants, three key starters were listed: right guard Tytus Howard, safety Grant Delpit, and cornerback Tyson Campbell. Delpit and Campbell were both questionable for the contest against the Panthers, with Delpit ultimately suiting up and Campbell missing the game.
If Elgton Jenkins can't go, it'll likely be Luke Wypler at center. Mekhi Blackmon got the start in place of Campbell against Carolina and would seemingly do so again if needed. Should Grant Delpit miss time on a short week, rookie second-rounder Emmanuel McNeil-Warren would likely see a huge bump in playing time.
As for Tytus Howard, there's currently no backup listed on the Browns' unofficial depth chart. Whether Dawand Jones would fill in or the Browns reconfigure the group to create an advantage remains to be seen.
Steelers
On the other side, the Steelers don't have many injury concerns coming into this one. Backup running back Rico Dowdle missed practice after sitting out Pittsburgh's win against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers listed defensive backs Jalen Ramsey (wrist) and Brandin Echols (concussion) as limited participants and Joey Porter Jr. as a full participant as his bizarre contract standoff wears on.
Echols is a reserve and has played fewer than 10 snaps in each game he's been active this season. Ramsey was able to play the entire game against the Bengals on Sunday. If the Browns are going to have a big day through the air, it's going to have to come against the best the Steelers have to offer.
Weather forecast for Browns vs. Steelers
Courtesy of NFL Weather, the temperature is expected to hover around the low-to-mid-70s on Thursday night. It will be cloudy out, and there's a 50 percent chance for precipitation. A rainy, muddy affair just sounds like AFC North football the way the football gods intended.
Wind could play a role as well, as winds are expected to reach 7–8 mph, with gusts in the mid-to-upper teens.
What Todd Monken’s saying
On facing the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers for the first time as a head coach:
“Oh man, how cool is that? And then he still wants to do it. I think that’s probably the biggest thing, is he still has it in him to want to do it. And he said it last year, to make the playoffs and play good again, and play at a level he feels like he’s capable of playing. And to me, that’s just, when you talk about life in general, to be at the top, then have some of the frustrations that come in, you know, with the Jets, and then to go there and play at the level he did, really cool for him. One of the all-time greats, I mean, there’s no way around it. I mean, just, that’s hard. Everybody in the NFL is elite, but to be an all-time great is, man, that’s special.”
On the challenge of going against T.J. Watt and the Steelers' stout defensive front:
“Well, I mean, I think it’s about time that he retires. I think, to me, (Cameron) Heyward and all those guys, it’s credit to those guys, how long they’ve done it at the level they’ve done it. And it’s been tough to go against, those elite players are hard, are challenging, like every week in the NFL. But those guys, along with the other guys that they have in their front seven and in the back. But credit to him, he’s doing it like I’ve always seen him do it.”
What Deshaun Watson is saying
On the emotions entering a Thursday night home game against a bitter division rival:
“It’s huge. It’s major. It’s a great opportunity to showcase what we’re about on a big national stage. And yeah, we’re super excited. We just ultimately, as a locker room, we just stay locked in, make sure we got our craft and everything, that our game plan is, so we can go out there and execute at a high level. We’re playing a very tough opponent, experienced opponent, and we got to make sure that we have all our things locked in going into that game.”
On his impression of the Steelers' defense:
“I mean, real good defense. Like I mentioned, very experienced. The up-front guys, they’ve been there for years, very active. The secondary got a lot of experience, guys that played a lot of football, so they do a lot of different things, and they create a lot of turnovers. So, you got to make sure that you’re seeing what they’re doing and getting the ball in the right spot.”
3 storylines to watch for Browns in Week 4
Browns' rookie wide receivers against the Steelers' hobbled (and middling) secondary
The Steelers always seem to have a formidable defense. As has been the case for years at this point, it will prove difficult to handle the unit spearheaded by the ageless defensive tackle Cam Heyward and his longtime running mate, EDGE T.J. Watt. If the Browns' ridiculously young — and now hobbled — offensive line can hold up, there are opportunities to attack in the pass game.
Despite having the league's No. 9 pass defense through three games, Pittsburgh's defense as a whole has allowed a 102.4 passer rating, just 16th in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, their team coverage grade is also coincidentally 16th. Conversely, they boast the league's No. 1 run defense, according to PFF.
If running back Quinshon Judkins and Co. continue to spin their wheels in neutral with attempts to run the ball, the onus might then fall on Deshaun Watson to make something happen with KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, and Harold Fannin Jr.
Jared Verse getting to the QB against the Steelers' revamped offensive line
The Steelers made wholesale changes to their offensive line after being bullied to a 20–3 final by the New England Patriots in Week 2. Right guard Spencer Anderson and right tackle Dylan Cook were benched in favor of Brock Hoffman at guard and rookie first-rounder Max Iheanachor at right tackle.
Aaron Rodgers was sacked twice against the Bengals after being sacked six times in the first two weeks. Pittsburgh's passing attack continues to be underwhelming. In order to keep it that way, Jared Verse has got to get things going. Through three games, he has just seven pressures, which is tied for 45th among EDGE rushers.
After a miserable performance against Jacksonville in Week 1, the Browns' secondary has held up their end of the bargain. The time is now for the pass rush to get things going.
Whether the Browns can fix their recurring penalty issue
Through three weeks, the Cleveland Browns have been penalized a whopping 29 times, the second-highest total in the league. If it wasn't hard enough to win with sub-optimal quarterback play, rookies and second-year players contributing all over the field, and an entirely new offensive coaching staff, it's only been made harder by the team's lack of discipline when it comes to yellow laundry.
Coaches can often live with penalties that involve competing, like holding or pass interference. Concentration penalties are a different story entirely. It takes no talent at all to not jump early for a false start or to wait until the ball is snapped before going offsides.
If the Browns are to pull off another upset this week against a stronger — but hardly unbeatable — opponent, they need to stop helping out the other team. AFC North clashes always seem to come down to the margins. Winning the penalty battle would be a huge help.
Browns vs. Steelers Week 4 game prediction
The Browns–Steelers rivalry has had more than its fair share of shocking outcomes. Offensively, the Steelers aren't all that different from the Browns. Neither team can run or pass particularly well, and both offenses have been hamstrung by limited quarterback play. On defense, both teams have stout, feisty units.
This game has the makings of a typical black-and-blue matchup where viewers are stuck wondering if they were transported through time and are actually viewing a 1970s matchup in lieu of the modern-day one they expected. It's going to be ugly.
Still, the Patriots proved what the Steelers look like when they play a defense that can stop their anemic attack. If the Browns can replicate that game plan and keep the Steelers to a low score, they just might be able to out-ugly them to their third straight win.
Prediction: Browns 16, Steelers 13
Add us as a preferred source on Google