Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Bold predictions vs. Browns, Week 11
By Samuel Teets
2. Offense gains 120 rushing yards
Despite having talented running backs and an acclaimed offensive line, the Steelers are struggling to run the ball. They had the same issue last season, especially when James Conner was injured. This season, Pittsburgh is averaging 83.2 rushing yards per game which ranks 27th in the NFL. The ground game’s fortunes will be reversed against the Browns though.
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The Browns have the sixth-worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 134.9 rushing yards per game. Only the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins rank below Cleveland in this category. Runners who face the Browns average 4.9 yards per carry, which is the fourth-highest average allowed by a defense this season.
To be fair, the Browns have faced some of the best rushing teams in the NFL. From Week 4 to Week 6, they faced the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, and the Seattle Seahawks. Those are three of the top six rushing teams in the NFL. The Browns gave up 618 rushing yards during those three games, which skews their averages.
However, the Steelers have also faced the 49ers, Ravens, and Seahawks and Pittsburgh’s defense is 16th against the run. While Cleveland has faced some tough rushing attacks, that doesn’t excuse how bad their defense has been against the run. If the Steelers can get all of their running backs healthy, they’ll control the tempo of the game in Week 11.