Cleveland Browns: 5 Bold predictions for Week 17 vs. Steelers

Cleveland Browns bold prediction No. 1: Win by 20+ clinch playoff spot

If this was a matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers with each team at full strength, this would honestly be a much more intriguing game. The Steelers overall have looked like the better team but they’ve been shaky down the stretch and could falter a bit against a hungry Cleveland team.

However, with Rudolph starting at quarterback for Pittsburgh and with key parts of that defense likely taking a rest this week, I don’t believe that the Steelers have the juice to hang with a Browns team that has clearly been playing with a chip on their shoulder and will be out for blood as they hunt for the postseason.

Mayfield should have a bounce-back game, Chubb should be able to assert his dominance and the Browns defense should be able to make life miserable for Rudolph — within the limits of the rules and human decency, of course. That all adds up to a dominant performance for Cleveland.

And the final score will reflect that. Not only will the Browns punch their first playoff berth in well over a decade but they’ll do so in convincing fashion, securing a 20-point win that leaves no doubt that the 11-5 club belongs in the postseason.