Two AFC North teams will square off in this week's edition of Monday Night Football as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Who will record the much-needed victory in this Browns vs Steelers clash? Here's a breakdown of this key divisional matchup.
Cleveland Browns installed as -3 favorites
Things are going from bad to worse for the Cleveland Browns as they crashed to their second consecutive defeat with a gut-wrenching 24-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. The Browns had no answer for Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
It was a costly result for the Browns, who dropped out of the playoff picture with the defeat. They are currently in 12th place in the AFC standings with a 7-8 record. The good news for the Browns is that they are just one game back of the seventh place in the AFC. That position belongs to the Miami Dolphins, who share an 8-7 record with three other teams in the AFC.
For the Browns to return to the win column in Week 17, they will need to get a quality performance from Baker Mayfield. He struggled mightily in the loss to the Packers, completing 21 of 36 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. His last pick doomed the Browns' chances of stealing the win, throwing an interception to Rasul Douglas with 43 seconds left.
The Browns must establish the run game against the Steelers. They ran for 219 yards in the loss to Green Bay, the bulk of which came from Nick Chubb. He ran for 126 yards and a score on 27 carries in Week 16.
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Pittsburgh Steelers enter Week 17 as +3 underdogs
It will be an emotional evening for Steelers fans at Heinz Field, with Ben Roethlisberger hinting that Monday night's clash against Cleveland will be his final home game as a Pittsburgh player. Big Ben announced on Thursday, saying in a press conference that all signs are pointing out that this could be it.
Roethlisberger has played his entire 18-year NFL career with Pittsburgh, racking up 63,721 passing yards, 416 touchdown passes, and six Pro Bowl selections in his time with the Steelers. He won two Super Bowl titles with Pittsburgh and has amassed a franchise record of 163 wins.
Ninety-one of those victories have come at Heinz Field, a new record for quarterbacks winning in one venue. Roethlisberger would want nothing more than to add another victory to that record and bolster Pittsburgh's bid to reach the playoffs.
The Steelers are in danger of missing the postseason as they are currently in 11th place in the AFC standings with a 7-7-1 record. A wild card spot is still in play, though, for the Steelers as they trail the Dolphins by just a half-game heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Steelers have fared well at home this season, posting a 5-2-1 record at Heinz Field. They will fancy their chances against the Browns, who are just 2-5 on the road this campaign.
Writer's Prediction
Pittsburgh wins over Cleveland.
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