The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns clash in Week 13, just two weeks after the Myles Garrett situation saw sparks fly in a late-game brawl.
The Pittsburgh Steelers escaped Cincinnati with their playoff hopes in Week 12 while the Cleveland Browns pummeled the Miami Dolphins. During the game, Mike Tomlin benched Mason Rudolph in favor of Devlin Hodges. Duck energized the offense enough to pull out the win.
While the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh will be a storyline leading into Week 13, the situation from two weeks ago still looms large. Hopefully, the game remains tame and tempers stay in check. The NFL dealt with the appeals last week. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the league upheld Myles Garrett‘s indefinite suspension.
Maurkice Pouncey, who punched and kicked at Garrett’s helmet after the defensive end clubbed Rudolph, had his suspension reduced to two games. That means the All-Pro center will still miss Week 13. Larry Ogunjobi, who blindsided Rudolph during the scuffle, will serve his one-week suspension in Week 12 and play in Week 13.
With Garrett and Pouncey sidelined, two potential aggressors won’t see the field. However, Garrett is still alleging that Rudolph called him a racial slur before the brawl broke out in Week 11. An ESPN article reported that the NFL “found no such evidence” and Rudolph denies the allegation.
While the fighting may be over, there are still some harsh feelings between players on both sides. The last thing either team needs is another version of the Bengals-Steelers games from a few years ago. The referees and coaches will be on guard for issues on Sunday.
3. Sloppy football dominates the afternoon
There were four turnovers committed, all by the Steelers, in Week 11. Rudolph doubled his season interceptions total in one game. On the other side, Baker Mayfield orchestrated his third interception-less game of the year.
The teams will commit mistakes more evenly in Week 13. Pittsburgh hasn’t determined their starting quarterback yet, but not a lot separates Hodges and Rudolph. The quarterback situation is grim in Pittsburgh, and either option leaves the Steelers open to silly mistakes.
Meanwhile, Mayfield has put together a solid run. In the last four games, he has thrown eight touchdowns and just one interception. The Browns are 3-1 during that stretch. Pittsburgh will jolt him off of his late-season run.
Even with stars like Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, the Steelers have too many good defensive players to be overwhelmed. Pittsburgh can force Mayfield into some uncomfortable position in Week 13. We’ll see if he can navigate the game without reverting to his early-season form.