CLEVELAND, Ohio — It will be a big ask for the Cleveland Browns to bounce back this week.
They’ll head on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who currently sit atop the division at 3-1 and are coming off a bye week.
Cleveland, at only 1-4, has more questions than answers at this stage of the year.
Heading into the Week 6 matchup, here are several key storylines as well as predictions for each:
The Steelers’ ability to turn the ball over
Pittsburgh is currently second in the league having forced 10 takeaways — four shy of Jacksonville’s league-high 14.
The most impressive part of the Steelers’ ranking? The fact that they’ve played one less game than most teams due to their Week 5 bye.
“Opportunists,” Joel Bitonio said this week. “The ball finds them, they get their hands in passing lanes. It seems like when they need a big play, they’ve made it so far this year. You know, we stress the turnover battle, and they’ve kind of lived that this year.
“They’re making plays and I think they’re 3-1 because they have won the turnover battle and they just find a way to get the ball. So we have to do everything in our power to protect it.”
The Browns’ offense has struggled with protecting the football, with eight giveaways in five games. Last week’s 21-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings was the lone game this year in which Cleveland didn’t turn the ball over.
Prediction: The Steelers defense is great at these splash plays, and with the Browns not having any consistent weapons in the pass game right now, it’s likely, in my opinion, that they will take the ball away from this offense at least one time.
The Browns’ other starting corner
On Wednesday, Cleveland traded Greg Newsome II, their first-round pick in 2021 out of Northwestern, to the Jaguars along with a sixth-round pick (from the Jets) in exchange for cornerback Tyson Campbell and a seventh-round pick (from the Eagles).
It’s a shake-up considering Newsome has been the starting outside corner opposite Denzel Ward with Martin Emerson Jr. out for the season after rupturing his Achilles.
This week, DC Jim Schwartz said he thought they would be able to get Campbell up to speed fast enough in order to play Sunday.
“Yeah, he’s a veteran player,” he said. “We’ve got players ready in less time than that. We have our intricacies, and we have a few things that we do uniquely, but we also do a lot of things that he’s done in the past. Late last night, watched some film of him, and it’s just a matter of him getting terminology down, and he’ll lean on the safeties and the nickels to communicate to him.”
Prediction: I think Tyson will get plenty of snaps, but there’s also a chance we could see the Browns mix in Dom Jones.
Jones was signed to the active roster on Wednesday after Cleveland traded Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday.
He was a game-day elevation for the Browns in each of the last three games, and played 10 defensive snaps combined against the Packers and Lions.
The Browns’ starting left tackle
There remains some intrigue over the Browns’ starting left tackle.
The team traded for vet Cam Robinson last week and he played only one series against the Vikings in London.
Will he take over the starting role against the Steelers?
If yes, he’ll replace KT Leveston. Against the Vikings, Leveston allowed five total pressures, one sack, and was whistled for three penalties of his own. He’s appeared in the prior four games for Cleveland, and according to PFF data, has allowed 13 total pressures and three sacks.
My Prediction: Unsurprisingly, Kevin Stefanski wouldn’t give a straight answer regarding their plans at starter, but his praise of Robinson nonetheless makes me think they are leaning that way.
“Continues to do better and better,” he said. “Has a very good understanding. Like I told you guys last week, just what we’re doing schematically, but just comfort with everything. Comfort with the play calls, comfort, playing next to Joel, that type of rapport and those type of things. So he’s handled everything well.”
Plus, things can’t get much worse than they have been.
My pick
The Browns haven’t won a regular season game in Pittsburgh since 2003, and the Steelers are coming off their bye week.
Rodgers can get the ball out quickly, kryptonite for this defense that is still really good.
I’m going Steelers, 24-16.
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