Steelers-Browns Preview Capsule
PITTSBURGH (5-4) at CLEVELAND (3-6)
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video
OPENING LINE - Browns by 3
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Steelers 5-3-1; Browns 2-6-1
SERIES RECORD - Steelers lead 75-58-2
LAST MEETING - Steelers beat Browns 33-18, Oct. 28, 2018
LAST WEEK - Steelers beat Rams 17-12; Browns beat Bills 19-16
AP PRO32 RANKING - Steelers No. 13, Browns No. 23
STEELERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (28), RUSH (27), PASS (27).
STEELERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (12), RUSH (17), PASS (12).
BROWNS OFFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (13), PASS (19).
BROWNS DEFENSE - OVERALL (17), RUSH (27), PASS (7).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Steelers have won 5 of 6 following 0-3 start. Second time in franchise history team has moved over .500 after opening 1-4. ... Steelers 10-9 on Thursday nights, 2-1 vs. Browns. ... Pittsburgh RB James Conner expected to return after missing two games with shoulder injury. Conner ran for 281 yards, four TDs in two meetings with Browns last year. ... Steelers LG Ramon Foster should play after missing two games with concussion. ... Pittsburgh's 26 takeaways rank second in NFL. Steelers produced 15 turnovers in all of 2018. ... Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick with defensive TD each of past two games, first Pittsburgh defensive player with scores in consecutive games since 1984. ... Steelers have 33 sacks, most over first nine games since 2008. ... Pittsburgh allowed Rams to convert just 1 of 14 third downs last week, tied for best performance in game with at least 14 third-down attempts in franchise history. ... Steelers QB Mason Rudolph ninth player since 1970 merger with TD pass in first seven appearances. ... Pittsburgh's 11 sacks allowed tied for fewest in NFL (Dallas). ... Steelers LB T.J. Watt leads team with 9ˆ½ sacks. Watt's 22 quarterback hits rank first in NFL. ... Watt's 29ˆ½ sacks since entering NFL in 2017 tops in NFL among LBs. ... Pittsburgh CB Joe Haden spent first seven seasons with Browns. Haden's 129 passes defensed most in NFL since 2010. ... Browns snapped four-game losing streak last week with win over Buffalo, Cleveland's first at home this season. ... Browns just 6-33-1 against Steelers since expansion rebirth in 1999. ... Browns QB Baker Mayfield hasn't thrown interception in past two games after having league-high 12 in first seven games. ... Mayfield led Browns on game-winning, 82-yard drive in fourth quarter last week. ... Mayfield and Rudolph faced each other three times in college with Browns QB leading Oklahoma to victories in each over Oklahoma State. ... Browns RB Nick Chubb had 116 yards rushing last week and has 919 this season. ... Chubb has streak of at least 75 scrimmage yards in nine straight games, league's longest active run. ... RB Kareem Hunt made debut with Browns last week and team intrigued by potential of him and Chubb in same backfield. ... WR Jarvis Landry had nine catches for 97 yards last week. ... WR Odell Beckham Jr. targeted 12 times last week, but only has 1 TD this season. Beckham had 10 catches in only game against Steelers in 2016. ... Browns WR Antonio Callaway expected to return after being benched last week for disciplinary reason. ... Browns have had red-zone issues all season, stopped on 12 plays inside by 5 Bills last week. ... Fantasy tip: On short week, Hunt, who recently completed eight-game NFL suspension, could be major part of game plan because of fresher legs.
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