Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt renews his rivalry against Myles Garrett Thursday in Huntington Bank Field. Watt has held the edge in head-to-head games. (Pittsburgh Steelers)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst of the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Four downs on Browns (2-8) v. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)
First down: Prime-time advantage.
Thursday night games are tough turnarounds for every NFL team. They’re tougher for teams forced to play on the road. They’re even tougher for teams forced to play in a division rival’s stadium, where the crowd energy is always higher than for a Sunday afternoon game. Thus, the NFL schedule-mavens gave the Browns a blessing by putting the first of their four scheduled prime-time games in Cleveland against the Steelers. Consider these facts: The Steelers under coach Mike Tomlin are 9-10 on Thursday night – 7-2 at home and 2-8 on the road. The Browns tagged Tomlin with two of those losses – 21-7 in 2019 and 29-17 in 2022. The Browns, in fact, are 9-2 in Thursday night home games and have won six in a row. Blessed so far without having to travel on a Thursday night as Browns coach, Kevin Stefanski is 4-0 in these mid-week prime-time games at home. He’ll need to exploit every ounce of that advantage because for the first time in Stefanski’s tenure, he won’t be facing a broken-down Ben Roethlisberger or a pedestrian Kenny Pickett at quarterback for the Steelers. He also must follow this game with consecutive road contests in two Temples of Doom for the Browns -- at Denver and at Pittsburgh.
Second down: Careful what you ask for.
Jameis Winston oozed with Browns-Steelers nostalgia this week and stoked the rivalry like no Cleveland quarterback since Bernie Kosar. “Growing up, seeing the blood, sweat and tears that happened in these games,” he said. “These games are hard nose, hard fought, true definition, cold weather, football weather, football games. This is a big game, and we got to get this for our fans.” The funny thing is Winston has never played a Steelers game in 10 NFL seasons and 101 career games. In 2018, Winston was serving the last of a three-game NFL suspension when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the Steelers. And in 2022, Winston stayed on the sideline as the backup to Andy Dalton when his New Orleans Saints faced the Steelers. Winston was spot on with one thing, though. Weather forecast for game time: 40 degrees, 94 percent chance of rain, 19mph winds, making the temperature feel more like 31 degrees.
Third down: Mr. Chubb’s revenge.
Nick Chubb was tearing it up against the Steelers on that fateful Monday night in Pittsburgh to end Week 2 in 2023, running as well as ever in his Browns career. In the first quarter alone, Chubb carried the ball nine times for 59 yards. Then, after the change in fields at the quarter timeout, on Chubb’s 10th carry from the Steelers’ 8-yard line, he was met at the 3 on an angle by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, whose low hit to Chubb’s left knee resulted in two torn ligaments, a torn meniscus and torn medial capsule. Two surgeries and 14 months of rehab later, Chubb and Fitzgerald meet for the first time since the horrific injury. Chubb has operated at about 50% of his former self in his first four games back. Fitzpatrick has not been the same player, either. The playmaking safety hasn’t had a takeaway or sack, only three pass breakups and one tackle for loss in the 18 games since incapacitating Chubb.
Fourth down: Myles v. T.J.
Since they entered the NFL via the 2017 draft, Myles Garrett (taken first overall) and T.J. Watt (taken 30th) have engaged in one of the league’s most competitive personal rivalries. Watt leads in career sacks (104 to 95), forced fumbles (31 to 19), fumble recoveries (12 to 5), pass breakups (48 to 16), and Pro Bowl appearances (6 to 5). The premier edge rushers are tied in All-Pro selections (5 to 5) and defensive player-of-the-year awards (1 to 1). Watt took exception when Garrett nabbed the award last season despite Watt leading the NFL with 19 sacks and Garrett netting only 14. Watt also may have been mindful of his superiority in head-to-head meetings with Garrett. The Steelers official weekly media release notes that when both Watt and Garrett play in the same game, the Steelers are 7-2-1. Both have played 12 games overall in the series. In Watt’s 12 games, he has 3 takeaways, 31 quarterback hits, 21 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and 1 touchdown. In Garrett’s 12 games, he has 3 takeaways, 19 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss, 9 sacks and 0 touchdowns.
The pick: Steelers 20, Browns 13.
My record: 6-4.