Sunday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns beat the Washington Commanders in Landover, MD. Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. The Steelers' chance of making the playoffs rose with that win from 2% to 16%, but their battle isn’t over. One Browns player, Myles Garrett, is hoping that they can ruin Pittsburgh’s chances.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 31: Pat Freiermuth #88 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates a touchdown in the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Browns' Garrett Acknowledges This Historic Steelers Rivalry
Pittsburgh is wrapping up their regular season with two very difficult divisional games. They still have a mathematical chance to make the playoffs and the most critical component is that they have to win next week in Pittsburgh against the Browns.
Understandably, the Browns players have something to say about this and no one is ever more vocal than longtime Browns edge rusher, Garrett.
Yesterday, after the Browns beat the Washington Commanders, Garrett was feeling quite fired up. The Browns were eliminated from playoff contention with wins, in part, from the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks. That leaves them with the motivation of ruining the Steelers' chances for this last game.
“We’d love to do that,” defensive end Myles Garrett said after the Browns’ 24-10 victory over the Commanders. “We consider them our rivals. And divisionally, if we can’t make it, we’re definitely going to make sure those guys can’t. We’re going to do everything in our power. Much respect to them for being in this position. But we live for times like this.”
Garrett has 26 total tackles and 6 sacks against the Steelers in his 6 seasons with the Browns.
The Steelers last played the Browns in Week 3, in September in Cleveland, and lost 17-29. The game was an ugly one. The Steelers run defense was non-existent and Nick Chubb ran unchecked for 113 yards. Mitch Trubisky was still under center for the Steelers and was unable to get anything going on offense. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 207 yards and no touchdowns.
It is easy to get caught up in how much Pittsburgh has improved since the bye week. The reality is the changes are tangible and they have made a tremendous turnaround. The run game has gained steam, the defense has improved in all areas and Kenny Pickett at quarterback is coming into his own and leading the offense with moxie. The Browns now have Deshaun Watson at quarterback since he was serving his suspension at the time of our last game. All of these factors, as well as how tough these two teams are, make this game difficult to predict.
The Steelers cannot just win and be in, they also need some help from the playoff fairy. They have to beat Cleveland, but they also need the New England Patriots (plays the Buffalo Bills) and the Miami Dolphins (plays the New York Jets) to lose.
Pittsburgh will not take this game lightly, they feel they have a lot to play for at Acrisure - playoffs, pride, and Mike Tomlin’s winning season streak. When it comes to playing any member of the AFC North, pride becomes a huge factor. These games are almost always highly physical and close, expect a roller coaster next week, and let’s hope the Steelers can spoil Garrett’s plans!
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 03: Najee Harris #22 of the Pittsburgh Steelers carries the ball during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on January 03, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
What do you think are the keys to victory against the Browns? Do you think the Steelers will make the playoffs? Click to comment below.
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