Steelers vs. Browns: Rivals battle in Week 8 with first place in AFC North on the line — SkimNews
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- Steelers enter Sunday at 5-2 with three consecutive wins, capped by a 16-10 victory over the Saints that made Pittsburgh the first team to win a game in Paris.
- Browns also enter at 5-2 but hold the technical AFC North lead through their 27-24 Week 4 win in Cleveland, their fifth consecutive victory over Pittsburgh there; Cleveland led 21-7 before the Steelers rallied.
- Aaron Rodgers threw for 299 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in that loss, then tied the game with 1:42 left; Deshaun Watson's four completions then set up Andre Szmyt's game-winning 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining.
- Steelers' offensive line surrendered five sacks of Rodgers in Week 4, while he was sacked nine times over the following three games; Rico Dowdle's return helped revive a rushing attack that produced Jaylen Warren's 93 yards on 17 carries in the loss.
- Payton Wilson recorded a key interception in the Saints win, while Pittsburgh's defense now ranks fifth in the NFL in points allowed, fourth in touchdown passes allowed and sixth in average yards per carry allowed after the Joey Porter Jr. trade.
- Browns produced 491 yards against Tennessee — 308 through the air and 183 on the ground — but turned the ball over twice after avoiding turnovers in a 13-10 win over Baltimore.
- Acrisure Stadium hosts the Nov. 1 game at 1 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+, with DraftKings listing Pittsburgh as a 3.5-point favorite and the total at 39.5.
Why it matters: At 5-2 apiece, Pittsburgh can move from technical second to outright AFC North first with a Nov. 1 win because Cleveland's lead comes from their head-to-head victory; Cleveland can preserve first with a win of its own. The matchup also spotlights Cleveland's 22nd-ranked average yards per carry allowed against Pittsburgh's Warren-Dowdle attack.
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