Steelers' Quiet Confidence Ahead Of Week 12 Is The Perfect Recipe For Likely Victory In Cleveland On Thursday Night Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers faced their toughest physical opponent of the season in Week 11 and still found a way to win 18-16 over the Baltimore Ravens. Now, they head across the state line into Ohio to play a game that is more of a mental challenge against the Cleveland Browns. This isn't to take anything away from the Browns and their solid defense led by Steelers nemesis Myles Garrett, or any of their offensive weapons like Nick Chubb and Jerry Jeudy. 

The Steelers have struggled in Cleveland since their first game of the 2018 season ended in a tie. Since then, Pittsburgh has gone 1-4 against its division rival. Pittsburgh has performed better than nearly anyone expected this season. Many analysts predicted they would finish at the bottom of the AFC North, but they are 8-2 and have led their division. 

Since taking over the offense, quarterback Russell Wilson has gone 4-0, but they were finding ways to win before that when Justin Fields was under center. More than just the recent success gives Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Fittipaldo confidence they will win this game in Week 12. He recently spoke with Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show. He was asked about the comments that many are making about this being a "trap game." Fittipaldo said he hesitates to call a division game on the road a "trap game," saying they are more difficult.  

"I think we talked about this last week; you guys asked me about my feel for the Ravens game, and I wanted to pick against the Steelers because I didn't think they could continue their dominance over Lamar," admitted Fittipaldo. "But I did because there's just this feeling around the Steelers now, like a quiet confidence. There's something different about this team than previous teams, I think. I will say this: the next time they lose, I'll be surprised. Let's put it that way. Again, Thursday night, short week, on the road, a place where you're 1-4-1 in your last six games, it's gonna be tough, but I would be surprised if they don't go out there and win."

This isn't the first time the special feeling surrounding this team has been mentioned. Head Coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged a "collective mentality" that exists in this group. That mentality made him feel confident about the outcome of the Ravens game, even when they were down by 10 points. 

The Steelers have been accused of playing down to teams in the past. However, in the Browns' case, it is fair to note that their quarterback situation wasn't the best, other than Ben Roethlisberger. Wilson, a former Super Bowl winner, does give the Steelers' offense a serious boost. This might be his first season with Pittsburgh, but he is 3-0 against the Browns in his career. However, Wilson needs to take a step forward against the Browns and take more shots down the field to get the offense moving.

Steelers Struggling In The Red Zone

The Steelers are lucky to have arguably the best kicker in the NFL, Chris Boswell. He alone was responsible for the Steelers' victory over the Ravens in total points. That is the second time this season that Boswell has scored six field goals and won the game for his team. 

While Wilson has been an asset for Pittsburgh's offense, the team has struggled in the red zone. Against the Ravens, Wilson led the offense into the red zone four times and failed to score a single touchdown. 

Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith recently acknowledged that Pittsburgh ranks 30th overall in red zone offense, with a touchdown rate of 44%. Smith expressed frustration over how the Steelers make it nearly to the goal line, but defenses have been covering their receivers well, and the plays fail or get intercepted, like with the Ravens. While there is plenty of blame to go around, the Steelers need to resolve this issue to continue winning these tougher games. 

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