CLEVELAND -- Our football staff at DK Pittsburgh Sports predicts Steelers vs. Browns, 1:02 p.m. today at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Read our Kickoff preview here.
Dale Lolley (12-3): This game will not be the cakewalk some might think. The pressure is obviously all on the Browns, who will be trying to secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2002. Mason Rudolph will have more weapons on hand than he did a year ago, when he was throwing to Johnny Holton and Tevin Jones for most of the second half of a 21-7 loss. The Browns will probably win this, but it will be close. Browns, 24-17
Ramon Foster (11-4): This is kind of wild. The Steelers' defense is good enough to get this job done, even with T.J. Watt not out there. And on offense, there's an opportunity for Mason to air it out with the Browns missing Ward. I do pick Pittsburgh. As many strides as the Browns have made, they still find a way to pull a Jets. Steelers, 23-14
Chris Carter (12-3): This game is going to be weird and wacky with dumb penalties, silly turnovers and head scratching moments abound. The Browns have the stars aligned to beat their big brother while the Steelers rest several stars. They’re still not the real deal, but they’re not the 0-15 Browns that lost to Landry Jones on New Years Day 2018. Browns, 16-13
Tom Reed (12-3): The Steelers have beaten the Browns with backup quarterbacks in the past, including last season. But this iteration of the Browns, with a majority of their pass catchers returning to the lineup, is good enough to beat a Pittsburgh team with little on the line. Browns, 24-14.
Dejan Kovacevic (11-4): Wait, they lost to the Jets? With a chance to get into the playoffs for the first time since the invention of the wheel? And we're assuming the Browns can't butcher this ... why, exactly? Steelers, 18-10