2026 Week 4 Opponent Scouting Report: Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week, an impressive fourth-quarter performance by quarterback Deshaun Watson led the Browns to a 21-18 win over Carolina. Next up for the team is a certain familiar enemy. The Browns will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Thursday night primetime matchup. With all four AFC North teams having a 2-1 record, the winner of tonight’s game will move into sole possession of 1st place in the division. Here’s the rundown on their opponent and what needs to happen for Cleveland to come out on top.
It seems that Father Time has caught up to the seemingly ageless wonder Aaron Rodgers. Entering his second season in Pittsburgh, Rodgers has been at times efficient, but not anywhere near how he was in his prime. During his days in Green Bay, he was known more for his deep ball, but while being in Pittsburgh, he’s settled for shallow passes more often than not. So far this season, Rodgers has averaged 6.5 yards per pass attempt, fifth- lowest average in the league. This dink-and-dunk offense doesn’t seem to mesh well with the style of his most dangerous weapon, D.K. Metcalf. Metcalf is coming off of a year where he had career-lows in total targets and receiving yards. In this matchup, I don’t expect a lot from him given the possibility that he’ll be shadowed by Denzel Ward. When targeted, Ward has allowed a 35.3% completion percentage so far this season. In the previous game, he held 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan to just one reception for 12 yards. Barring multiple breakdowns in Cleveland’s coverage, don’t expect too many fireworks out of Pittsburgh’s passing attack.
Pittsburgh may be a pass-heavy offense, but that doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous in the run game. Starting RB Jaylen Warren has slowly become one of the league’s most efficient runners. His last game saw him rush for 127 yards on 17 carries, albeit against a Cincinnati defense still looking for consistency, but it was an impressive performance nonetheless. He also had a career-high 176 all-purpose yards. Warren has given Cleveland problems in the past despite a minuscule workload. In eight career games, Warren has rushed for 423 yards and two touchdowns, all while averaging 6.2 yards per carry. The Browns are one of five teams (Seattle, Minnesota, Washington, Atlanta) that have yet to give up a rushing touchdown; however, that trend may end Thursday. Among all the previously mentioned teams, Cleveland allows the most rushing yards per game at 120.3. I have faith in Cleveland’s front seven to minimize Warren’s effect to a degree, but it is hard not to believe he won’t have a big run or two.
One of the main concerns for Cleveland in this game should be keeping Deshaun Watson up right, and in all honesty, they’ve struggled at times with that. Watson has been sacked nine times this season so far, third most in the league. Cleveland will have to defend against a surprisingly underperforming Pittsburgh pass rush. Through three games so far, they’ve accounted for 22 QB pressures, the ninth-lowest mark in the league. While they haven’t had much success on the field, any defense that has Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith, and T.J. Watt shouldn’t be counted out. The trio combined for 27 total sacks and 34 TFL last season, and out of those, two sacks and 4.5 TFL came against Cleveland alone; granted, that came against a completely different Cleveland offensive line. There’ll be added pressure on rookies LT Spencer Fano and RG Austin Barber to perform well, more so with Fano given the fact he’ll more than likely be dealing with the combination of Alex Highsmith and Cam Heyward. I expect plenty of chip blocks and quick passes to counter the pass rush.
Strengths:
- Defense generates plenty of turnovers
- Strong front seven
Weaknesses:
- Red zone offense stalls frequently
- Poor 3rd down conversion percentage
Key Matchup:
- Cleveland O-Line Vs. Pittsburgh Pass Rush
I think this will be a low-scoring affair, where the team with the defense that makes the most stops wins. Luckily for Cleveland, that’s right up their alley.
Score Prediction:
- CLE-20
- PIT-16
The Guardians offense in 2 games this postseason:
7-61 (.115 AVG) | 0 HR | 3 Runs 21 K’s | .180 SLG | .398 OPS
A disastrous showing so far. 🤮🤮🤮
Via @JustBB_Media
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