Browns vs. Steelers: Week 2 Need to Know

The Cleveland Browns head to Pittsburgh in Week 2 for a Monday night showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Browns are coming off their latest beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals and are looking to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 1993.

Standing in the way are the Steelers, who were embarrassed by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 as their offense struggled with quarterback Kenny Pickett no longer facing the vanilla defenses that are a staple of the preseason.

It has been a comedy of errors for the Browns more often than not when they face the Steelers on the road as they have not won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003.

Things might be different this time, however, as the Browns have a clear advantage on both offense and defense at key positions, so if there was ever a time to finally stand up to their divisional bullies and declare “enough,” this could be it.

It’s Browns vs. Steelers on Monday Night Football and here is everything you need to know to prepare for the game.

Game Info

Records: Cleveland is 1-0. Pittsburgh is 0-1.

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m.

Stadium: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.

TV: ABC (WEWS News 5)

Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters (sidelines)

Radio: ESPN 850, 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX, 89.1 FM La Mega (Spanish)

Announcers: Chris Rose, Nathan Zegura and Jerod Cherry (sidelines)

First meeting: The Browns won the first meeting, 30-17, on October 7, 1950.

Last meeting: The Steelers won the last meeting, 28-14, in Week 18 of the 2022 season.

All-time series: Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, including playoff games, 80-62-1.

Weather: 64 degrees and mostly clear, with a four percent chance of rain and wind from the northwest at 6 mph. (weather.com)

Uniform: The Browns will wear their throwback all-white uniform set with the debut of their white helmet.

Injury report: Browns - Questionable: Wide receiver Amari Cooper (groin), safety Juan Thornhill (calf) and defensive tackle Siaki Ika (foot). Steelers - Out: Wide receiver Diontae Johnson (hamstring) and running back Anthony McFarland Jr. (knee).

The line: Browns -2.5 (DraftKings)

Some Notes to Remember

• The Browns have won two consecutive games in primetime and are 17-18 all-time on Monday Night Football.
• The Steelers have won 20 consecutive home games on Monday Night Football.
• After rushing for 106 yards in the season opener, running back Nick Chubb is now just 94 yards away from passing Mike Pruitt for third place on the franchise’s all-time rushing list. Pruitt ran for 6,540 yards in his nine seasons with the Browns.
• The Browns are 3-0 against the Steelers when Chubb rushes for more than 80 yards, but are 0-5-1 when Pittsburgh holds him to less than 80 rushing yards, per ESPN.
• Cleveland’s quarterbacks have not fared well against the Steelers since Mike Tomlin was hired as Pittsburgh’s head coach in 2007. In those 96 games, Cleveland’s quarterbacks are last in completion percentage, last in yards per attempt and have the fourth-lowest QBR of any divisional matchup, according to ESPN.
• Wide receiver Amari Cooper needs two catches to reach 600 career receptions, but that may need to wait another week if his groin injury sidelines him on Monday night.
• This week’s game poster from the Browns is … something.

• The Steelers may need to turn to rookie right tackle Broderick Jones on Monday night if starting right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who spent the week in the league-mandated concussion protocol but was a full participant in Saturday’s practice, is unable to go on Monday night. Jones has not played right tackle since his redshirt sophomore season at Georgia.
• Pittsburgh allowed 188 rushing yards and 5.5 yards per carry in their season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers, while the Browns rushed for 206 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry in their Week 1 win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In Case You Missed It

• Browns fans 95% confident in the direction of the team, and chalk up Watson’s struggles to the rain
• Scouting the Pittsburgh Steelers with our Q&A with Behind the Steel Curtain
• Steelers History: Franchise has been called eight different team names
• Browns CBs catch the attention of Steelers HC
• 3 Steelers to watch for Browns fans to watch in Week 2 Monday Night Football
• Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Week 2 Preview and Prediction
• Browns hoping to party like it’s 1989
• Browns-Steelers DraftKings Week 2 prop bets: Bet on Nick Chubb, Cleveland’s defense
• Dawand Jones ready? Differing perspectives on his Week 1 performance

A Final Quote

Right tackle Dawand Jones, who will be making his first NFL start, on the prospect of facing Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, who has 15 sacks on 10 career games against the Browns (quote via a team-provided transcript):

“I think they’ll probably put him a majority on my side just because I’m younger, a rookie. They’re going to try to definitely make me a target. But I got to step up to the plate, step up to the challenge. But they do have packages that they’re going to move around so it comes with the game Honestly, I couldn’t ask for nothing else.”

What are you looking for from the Browns in Monday night’s game against the Steelers?