Pittsburgh (9-6) Cleveland (3-12)
Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Steelers 3 odds.
Versus point difference: Steelers 8-6-1; Browns 6-9.
Series record: Steelers 83 wins, 64 losses and 1 lead.
Last meeting: Steelers won 23-9 on Oct. 12 in Pittsburgh.
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Last week: Steelers beat Lions 29-24; Browns lost to Bills 23-20.
Steelers offense: Overall (27), rushing (26), passing (21), scoring (11).
Steelers defense: Overall (28), rushing (15), passing (30), scoring (17).
Browns offense: Overall (30), rushing (28), passing (30), scoring (31)
Browns defense: Overall (2), rushing (14), passing (1), scoring (20)
Turnover differential: Steelers +9; Browns -6 points.
Steelers players to watch
RB Kenny Gamwell. “Kenny G” has been outstanding in Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak. The versatile five-year veteran averaged nearly 100 yards from scrimmage during the Steelers’ late-season surge. Gainwell’s 62 receptions also led the team, and that wasn’t just blocking. He proved that with his one-arm dive for a 45-yard touchdown late in the first half against Detroit last week.
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Browns players to watch
Demyles Garrett. The All-Pro rusher finished with 22 sacks, needing one to surpass the single-season record held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (2001 with the New York Giants) and Pittsburgh’s TJ Watt (2021). Garrett, who leads the league with 32 tackles in a loss, has never sacked Aaron Rodgers in two games.
key matchup
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers versus Garrett. Rogers’s postback shooting rate this season is the lowest in the league at 21.9%, and he is under tremendous pressure. His average pitch time is 2.63 seconds, the fastest in the league. Garrett did not sack Rodgers in either of his two encounters and only received four quarterback pressures.
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key injuries
Steelers: LB T.J. Watt will miss his third straight game as he recovers from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung. … WR Calvin Austin III (groin), LG Isaac Seumalo (triceps), CB Brandin Echols (groin) and CB James Pierre (calf) are also ruled out. … LB Nick Herbig (hamstring) could return after missing the win over Detroit.
Browns: RB Quinshon Judkins (leg) was placed on injured reserve after having surgery on Tuesday. … TE Harold Fannin Jr. (groin) and QB Dillon Gabriel (shoulder) were injured in Friday’s practice and likely will be decided at game time. … TE David Njoku (knee) did not practice this week and will miss his third straight game. … CB Denzel Ward (Dallas) is expected to return to the lineup after missing the past two weeks. … RB Dylan Sampson (hand) status is uncertain.
Series Notes
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The Steelers have dominated the Browns since Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999, but Pittsburgh has found the team’s path a bit rocky as of late against their old rivals. Cleveland has won five of six games against Pittsburgh at Huntington Bank Stadium, including three straight. … The Browns beat the Steelers 4-1 in December. Pittsburgh last visited Cleveland in December 2009, when the Browns won 13-6. … Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went 4-0 against the Browns, throwing 11 touchdown passes without the draft.
Statistics and stuff
Pittsburgh has won three straight to take control of the AFC North with two weeks left. The Steelers can clinch their first AFC North title since 2020 this weekend with a win or a Ravens loss to Green Bay. …Pittsburgh will have to do it without star receiver DK Metcalf, who was suspended for the team’s last two games after getting into an altercation with a fan during a game in Detroit. … Pittsburgh is 6-2 all-time in conference finals under Mike Tomlin. … Tomlin is one win away from tying Hall of Famer Chuck Noll for the most regular-season wins in franchise history. Noll’s 193 regular-season wins rank ninth all-time. Of the eight guys before Tomlin and Noel on the list, seven are already in or about to be in the Hall of Fame (Andy Reid, Bill Belichick). … Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers rebounded strongly after a dismal performance on Nov. 30 against Buffalo. The 42-year-old completed 73 of 102 passes for 774 yards, five touchdowns and no picks during Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak. … The Steelers have had 11 different players catch touchdown passes this season, tied with Tampa Bay for the most in the league. … The Steelers have a 52-15 record against rookie quarterbacks since 1970, including an Oct. 12 win over Cleveland when Dillion Gabriel started for the Browns. Cleveland quarterback Shaddell Sanders will become the third rookie to face Pittsburgh in the past five meetings between the old division rivals. …The Steelers have been a strong closer over the past eight seasons. Pittsburgh’s 17 wins between Weeks 17 and 18 tops the NFL. … The Steelers defense has dominated the third quarter in each of the past two weeks, holding Miami and Detroit’s offense to minus-23 yards combined. …Cleveland will lead the rookie in pass attempts, rushing and receiving. The only team to do that was the 1968 Buffalo Bills. … QB Shedeur Sanders is 1-4 as the Browns’ starting quarterback. He has six touchdown passes and eight interceptions this season. …Cleveland allowed a league-high 45.3 percent quarterback pressure rate, which was the third-highest quarterback pressure rate in a single season since Next Gen Stats began tracking in 2018. … RB Laheim Sanders and Trayvon Williams combined for 105 yards last week after Judkins was injured. … WR Jerry Jeudy has at least five catches in his past three games against the Steelers. … LB Carson Schwesinger leads NFL rookies in tackles (137) and tackles for loss (11). …Cleveland’s defense pressured 39 percent of its dropbacks, a rate that ranked fifth in the league.
fantasy prompts
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Cleveland TE Harold Fannin Jr. is one of only three NFL players to play at least 45 games in the backfield, playing either slot receiver, outside or tight end. He was targeted on 24.8% of his routes and had 367 yards after the catch. He has three touchdown catches in the last four games and had seven catches for 81 yards in the opener against Pittsburgh.
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