Thursday Night Football preview: The best and worst of the Steelers and Browns in weeks 1 and 2
Thursday Night Football will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns in an AFC North matchup for Week 3. Both teams have a 1-1 record.
It’s Week 3 of the NFL 2022-23 season, and Thursday Night Football features the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. After exciting TNF showdowns in Weeks 1 and 2, the divisional battle between the two rivals is not expected to be the most thrilling of matchups.
Both teams have a 1-1 record heading into the game, and the two squads are adjusting to having new starting quarterbacks.
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The Steelers have been playing without now-retired Ben Roethlisberger, and they have been struggling with Mitch Trubisky. They managed to eke out a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, who played a largely awful game. Bengals star QB Joe Burrows seemed rusty after the offseason, and delivered his worst performance with the team.
After that victory, Pittsburgh failed against the New England Patriots in Week 2, with the offense racking up less than 250 yards. The team has come up with only two offensive touchdowns in their first two outings, putting them in the 30th position in total offense in the league.
Brissett keeps it together for the Browns
The Browns’ franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson is still suspended, but his backup Jacoby Brissett has managed to lead the offensive team which has been effective, particularly in their run game with star running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
They were able to defeat the Carolina Panthers 26-24 with a field goal in Week 1, then they suffered an embarrassing collapse in Week 2, when they blew a 30-17 lead with over 90 seconds of play remaining and lost to the New York Jets.
The Browns were heralded as a team to watch in terms of defense, with a talented team composed of Myles Garrett, Antony Walker Jr., and Denzel Ward. However, they have not yet gelled enough for the defense to become the standout unit they were expected to be, and the team is currently 15th in total defense in the NFL.
The Cleveland Browns will host the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday, Sept. 22. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 pm. PT.