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However much of a fan you are of football, no one is a fan of bad football. So, for Browns fans this year, the good news is that the season is nearing it's end. The bad news is also that the season is nearing it's end.
The Ravens game three weeks ago is starting to look very much like a "dead cat bounce" for the Brown's season, just two weeks after Deshaun Watson's achilles injury. It might have indicated that the team was responding to new leadership, instead, it seems that that was not the case, this team is what it is, a fact driven home Sunday when another struggling team ran away with the game in the second half..
Pittsburgh (8-2) @ Browns (2-8)
Line - Steelers -3.5 O/u 36.5
Series - Steelers 81-63-1
Last meeting - Browns 13-10 on November 19, 2023 @ Cleveland, OH
Stefanski on the Hot Seat?
It seems odd that someone who was the AP NFL Coach of the Year just last season would be worrying about job security less that a calendar year later. That is, however, just where Browns HC Kevin Stefanski sits ten games into the 2024 season. With the team off to its worst start since 2017 (when they went 0-17) speculation regarding his job has begun to circulate in recent days.
Stefanski, for his part, isn't worried though. "I think probably because I grew up listening to [Philadelphia radio], I'm smart enough to not worry about outside noise," Stefanski said. "I get that's part of this gig. That's life in the big city. My sole focus is getting this team ready to get a win on Thursday night. That's it."
The two-time NFL coach of the year could, potentially, get a stay of execution given the losses his team has has to deal with. Along the offensive line they've missed significant time from players expected to be key contributors as well as beginning the season without workhorse back Nick Chubb and losing starting QB Deshaun Watson midseason. . .actually, scratch that last one.
This might need to be a case of the Browns front office just giving Stefanski a mulligan for this season and holding onto someone that obviously knows how to coach when he has the right players.
Bits and Baubles
Nick Chubb will face the Steelers for the first time since suffering a knee injury in Week 2 last season. Cleveland has won it's last six Thursday Night Football matchups as well as it's last three home games on TNF against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh is undefeated since Russell Wilson has taken over as the starting QB. T.J. Watt has feasted against the Browns in his career, notching 17 sacks, tied for the most against any team (Baltimore). Pittsburgh has the third lowest conversion rate in the league inside the Red Zone (16 TDs in 36 trips)
Injury Report
Browns
Dawand Jones - OT - OUT/IR (Broken leg)
Mike Hall Jr. - DT - OUT/IR (Knee)
Geoff Swaim - TE - OUT (Concussion)
Jedrick Wills Jr. - OT - OUT (Knee)
Steelers
C.J. Henderson - CB - OUT/IR (Neck)
Corey Trice - CB - OUT/IR (Hamstring)
Alex Highsmith - LB - Questionable (Ankle)
Fantasy Advice
Elijah Moore should be someone who gets a look from anyone who needs WR help, he won't be a WR1, but he could be a very capable WR2 or a FLEX seeing as how he's been targeted 29 times in the last three games.
George Pickens might be someone to think about keeping out of the lineup this week, he'll likely be shadowed by Denzel Ward who finally broke through with his first pick of the season last week.
Prediction
Steelers 28-17
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