CLEVELAND — After beating the Buffalo Bills on Sunday to end a four-game losing streak, the Cleveland Browns won't have to wait long to try to extend their winning ways.
Hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Browns will play on Thursday Night Football for their first and last time this season in a primetime matchup that could have serious implications for Cleveland's playoff hopes.
Despite losing Ben Roethlisberger for the season due to injury, the 5-6 Steelers have been quietly inconsistent, while at 3-6, the Browns are still hoping to prove they were worthy of their preseason hype. Will Cleveland begin its first winning streak of the season or was Sunday's victory an aberration? We'll find out on Thursday.
Until then, here's everything you need to know about the first Browns vs. Steelers matchup of the season:
Game info, how to watch on TV, betting line:
Date: Nov. 14, 2019
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
TV channel: Fox, NFL Network, Amazon
Live Stream: Amazon Prime
Radio: ESPN 850, 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX
Betting line: Cleveland -2.5
Over-under point total: 40.5
Key storylines
November momentum?
It took a fourth-quarter drive, which concluded with a Baker Mayfield touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins, but the Browns' win over the Bills on Sunday still counted the same.
Nevertheless, it's fair to wonder whether Cleveland's victory marked a turning point in the season or was a mere matter of a team that was due for a win beating an overhyped opponent.
"We needed that win bad and we needed that lifted off our back," Odell Beckham Jr. said on Sunday. "We can enjoy right now but it’s just one win. We play Thursday, and the next thing we know we’ll be lining up against Pittsburgh."
That the Browns will and if nothing else, Thursday will tell us more about the direction in which this Cleveland team is headed. Despite their sluggish start, the Browns' playoff hopes aren't dead -- at least not yet -- and a win over the Steelers could only increase such chatter.
Wild Card, wilder scenarios
Speaking of the playoffs, just how likely is it that Cleveland will break its 16-season postseason drought this year?
The path is clearer than you might think.
Although the Browns only lay claim to a 3-6 record, that only puts them two games behind the Oakland Raiders for the second Wild Card spot (the 6-3 Bills currently lay claim to the top Wild Card spot). And while plenty of teams currently sit between the Browns and a Wild Card spot, it's worth noting that Cleveland now lays claim to the easiest remaining schedule for the rest of the season.
In all likelihood, Cleveland could likely afford one more loss on its resume and still make a legitimate playoff push. But a loss on Thursday, nevertheless, could prove devastating for a Browns team looking to build momentum for the first time all season.
OBJ on his way?
After plenty of conversation regarding a need to get Beckham more involved, the Browns failed to do just that against the Bills -- although it wasn't due to a lack of effort.
While Beckham caught 5 passes for 57 yards vs. Buffalo -- meager numbers by any standard -- he was targeted a season-high 12 times, an encouraging sign for an offense that has thus far failed to properly integrate its star acquisition.
"Now we can understand where we can go from here," Beckham said of his missed opportunities. "It's a building point."
What Beckham and Mayfield build next could be a big game against the Steelers, who could be without Joe Haden on Thursday. At this point, it's been over two months since Beckham last caught a touchdown. But as he showed on that Monday night, he has a habit of showing up when the lights are the brightest.
What's on the line?
It's fairly simple: Win and the Browns keep playoff hopes alive heading into arguably the easiest portion of its schedule. Lose, however, and Cleveland will be left with no margin for error -- if that -- for the rest of the season.
Prediction
The Steelers' stout defense stifles an enigmatic Browns offense and does just enough to walk away with a road upset.
Steelers 17, Browns 10
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