Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns Expert Pick – November 21, 2024

Two bitter AFC North rivals collide under the primetime lights as the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) visit the Cleveland Browns (2-8) on Thursday Night Football. Don’t let the records fool you – the Browns are eager to spoil the plans of a team eyeing the division title and more. While the Steelers are ready to officially end the Browns’ season before they even thaw out the Thanksgiving turkey. Read more Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns expert pick.

Man o’ War

Despite having little chance of making the playoffs, the Browns have found motivation in Myles Garrett, the current Defensive Player of the Year. He wasn’t pleased with T.J. Watt’s comments and reaction after Garrett finished as the runner-up for the same award last season

“I’ve never complained about the trophy not being in my house and vice versa,” Garrett said in response to Watt not attending the NFL honors ceremony. “He shouldn’t be feeling two ways about it going to me. So, I’m just going to play the game, I don’t play against T.J., he doesn’t play against me.”

To be fair, Watt did take to social media as well after the announcement stating that it was “nothing I’m not used to” after leading in almost every measurable defensive category. 

“I have respect for everybody in the league. Obviously, he’s a guy who has been a top pass rusher in the league for a long time,” Watt said Wednesday, via video from Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “But I don’t compete directly against him. It’s our team versus their team, and at the end of the day, I just want the Pittsburgh Steelers to come out with a win.”

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Kickoff

When: Thursday, November 21st at 1:05 PM ET

Where: Huntington Bank Field – Cleveland, OH

TV: Prime

The Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Red “Lobster” Zone

The Steelers have been much improved since Russell Wilson took over at quarterback, scoring nearly 27.25 points per game. But there is still room for much improvement as they failed to score a touchdown in four trips in the red zone against the Baltimore Ravens last week. They are 30th in red zone scoring percentage, getting a touchdown just 44.4% of the time. 

“You look at — that’s why it’s always week-to-week and circumstantial,” said offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. “But obviously overall, every time you get there (you want a) touchdown. In the Giants game it might be two called back, whatever it was. Not ideal. Washington, we were better, obviously the one we didn’t score — not ideal.”

The Steelers have relied on their stellar defense, which allows touchdowns just 48.3% of the time and boasts the lowest average points allowed in the red zone. They will also be looking for turnover opportunities with Jameis Winston at quarterback. Known for his fearless, sometimes reckless play, Winston has a career average of 1.26 turnovers per game, making him prone to giving up the ball. 

The Pick

Don’t let the records fool you. This is a proud Browns team that would love nothing more than to spoil the Steelers’ chances at a division title. To add to the drama, HBO camera crews are filming the AFC North version of Hard Knocks. There’s also a 60% chance of snow, and the Steelers are favored by just 3.5 points.

This has all the makings of a trap game, especially considering Mike Tomlin’s 0-7 record on the road for Thursday night games. However, I can’t overlook the Browns’ subpar defense, which ranks 24th against the run and 19th overall. Despite that, this feels like a different Steelers team—one that is aiming to play meaningful games in February. I’m taking the Steelers in a snowy, sloppy affair – 23-10.