Browns' Denzel Ward Tells Steelers Fans They're Planning To Crush Pittsburgh's Playoff Chances

The Pittsburgh Steelers are continuing the hot surge in momentum after defeating the Detroit Lions 29-24 in one of the most electric games all season last Sunday. This win puts the Steelers in firm control of the AFC North with the potential to win the division coming this week with a victory against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers could also have the AFC North wrapped up on Saturday night, should the Baltimore Ravens lose to the Green Bay Packers, making the Steelers' game against the Browns meaningless before it even kicks off. This would throw a wrench into the plans of one of the Browns' players determined to ruin the Steelers' season.

Browns cornerback Denzel Ward recently appeared in a press conference to answer some questions before the team's pivotal matchup against the Steelers. Should the Steelers not get help from the Packers on Saturday night, the game against the Browns would be the game to clinch the division for Pittsburgh. With everything potentially on the line for the Steelers, Ward made an interesting statement that indicates he would certainly want to ruin the moment and set the Black and Gold back.

"Yeah man, it sounds like it's an amazing opportunity that we have, you know, we still playing for something," Ward said. "So we playing to ruin their hopes of getting into the playoffs, and so that's what we're going in there to try to do, and to the best way we can, but still something to play for."

Ward and the rest of the Browns players will likely be watching the scoreboards on Saturday night to see just how much of a spoiler they could play against the Steelers, hoping that the game against Pittsburgh will have meaning, so they can go out there and potentially attempt to ruin the Steelers' momentum.

For the Steelers, this game will be one that they cannot take lightly, even if their last meeting was a 23-9 victory where they dominated on both sides of the ball. Even if they're the AFC North champions by the time this game begins, Ward and the Browns will want to get out there and halt the positive momentum the Steelers have built over the past three weeks. The team can't afford to go out and put forth less effort because of who the opponent is and how bad their record currently is. 

Part of the reason the Steelers were able to dominate the Browns the way they did in Week 6 is due to the offensive explosion against the Browns' defense. In particular, Steelers receiver DK Metcalf had his second huge game of the season at that point, hauling in four receptions for 95 yards as the Browns had no answers for him or the rest of the offense. While the Browns won't have to worry about Metcalf having another huge day against them this week, they'll need to find a way to contain the rest of the Steelers playmakers if they want to play spoiler.

The Steelers will need to ensure Ward's comments don't loom large after the game against the Browns on Sunday, especially for the future, regardless of whether or not the AFC North is locked up before the game kicks off. Despite the seemingly meaningless nature of this game for Pittsburgh, and Ward's comments, the Steelers have something important to play for that isn't visible on the stat sheet.

Steelers Need To Win To Keep Momentum Strong

The Steelers have put up strong performances in their win streak, showing that the team has momentum on their side as the playoffs loom large. Ward, like the rest of the Browns players, know that even if they can't play spoiler to the Steelers' playoff chances, they can halt their positive momentum, which could damage the Steelers going into the first round of the playoffs. Should their momentum stop, it might be difficult for the team to get going again when the Wild Card Round begins, which is something the Steelers can't afford if they want to win their first playoff game since the 2016 season.

What did you think of Ward's comments about wanting to ruin the Steelers' season? Let us know in the comments below.

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