Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Preview and Prediction

Injuries are an inevitable part of every NFL season, but the Browns are dealing with an exuberant number of them. This week, they added star quarterback Deshaun Watson to a long list of injured players – a devastating blow to the team's playoff dreams.

At 6-3, though, everything the Browns want to accomplish is still very much in front of them. Their first challenge on this path to the postseason without Watson, a key matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's a game with massive implications for both teams, right in the thick of a competitive division race.

Earlier this season, the Steelers got the better of the Browns with their signature strategy of mucking games up with their dominant defense and eking out a win. Fresh off an emotional comeback win over the Ravens though, Cleveland is looking to exact revenge on their home turf.

It's Browns. It's Steelers. It's AFC North Football. Here's our staff's official predictions.

Anthony Moeglin: Browns 24, Steelers 3

Cleveland avenges the loss of Nick Chubb in Week 2 and crushes this Steeler team. My prediction is that the offensive game plan is a carbon copy to that of the Cardinals game from a few weeks ago. Kevin Stefanski is going to protect Dorian Thompson-Robinson with easy completions and a lot of run plays. Special Teams will pay dividends and I believe either Amari Cooper or Jerome Ford will spring a big play to seal the deal. Defensively the Browns will totally suffocate this team and dominate from start to finish. Cleveland moves to 7-3 and will be in second place in the AFC North.

Anthony Poisal: Browns 20, Steelers 17

A win won't cure all the bad vibes that have been spinning around the Browns following a brutal week, but they still take another giant leap toward a playoff berth and advance to 7-3. The Browns can overcome adversity at QB all season prior to Week 10, and they can still prove they can compete for the playoffs after Week 11.

Brendan Gulick: Browns 18, Steelers 16

It was pretty natural to feel like the sky was falling for Browns fans this week, after it was announced that Deshaun Watson would miss the rest of the year. But after spending a few days in the locker room this week, I was impressed by the resolve and the optimism from this team. They made it very clear their goals haven't changed, even though Watson won't be on the field. Pittsburgh presents some matchup challenges, especially with T.J. Watt working against an offensive line that isn't 100%. But Geron Christian played well last week and I'm optimistic Dawand Jones will return. I think the Browns find a way to grind out another win and cement themselves as one of the best teams in the AFC, regardless of who's playing quarterback.

Spencer German: Steelers 18, Browns 17

This game comes down to one thing for me: can the Browns beat the Steelers at their own game? Everyone always talks about "AFC North Football," well this matchup is the epitome of that. Two teams that are going to look to their run games to build momentum on offense and then ride the coattails of their defenses to victory. Before the Watson news this week I was ready to pick the Browns by a significant margin. Now, there's just too much unknown with rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson for me, even if the team presented its best DTR sales pitch all week. I don't think Cleveland's season is over by any stretch and frankly the sense of belief inside this locker room can be a powerful thing. To go back to the top though, I just don't know if the Browns are ready to beat Mike Tomlin and the Steelers at their own game without Watson.