Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett Vows Payback vs. Steelers
As the Steelers polished off a 27-14 win over the Browns, "Cleveland sucks!" chants reigned down from the crowd at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Star Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett reportedly egged on the crowd, holding his hand next to his ear as if he wanted to hear more. Asked about whether he holds onto that as motivation for years to come, Garrett replied, "Oh yeah."
"We'll see them again next year," Garrett said, via Cleveland.com. "The result [I hope for] is they have that same energy when we come to their house next year."
Garrett wasn't the only one who heard taunts from Steelers fans. The wife of Browns guard Wyatt Teller posted on X that fans in Pittsburgh were "blatantly disrespectful," and she has "never felt so attacked" before.
Steelers fans may have been especially riled up considering the Browns beat the Steelers two weeks ago during the snow game in Cleveland. Sunday's game was a payback of sorts for that "Thursday Night Football" classic.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Steelers Can Clinch This Week, But George Pickens Is Dealing With Injury
The Steelers can clinch their playoff spot this week, but it won't come easy unless they get help.
If Pittsburgh (10-3) beats the surging cross-state Eagles, the Steelers are in the postseason for the fourth time in the past five seasons. However, the Steelers haven't won in Philadelphia since 1965 and the Eagles are 11-2, riding a nine-game winning streak.
The Steelers can also get into the playoffs this week with losses by the Colts (vs. Broncos) and Dolphins (vs. Texans), as both teams sit four games back of Pittsburgh at 6-7.
Beating the Browns was big for Pittsburgh's odds of winning the AFC North. With a two-game lead over the Ravens, the Steelers have an 81% chance, per ESPN’s projections. They still have a date in Baltimore next week.
Pittsburgh's .395 strength of schedule so far this season is the lowest of any team currently in the AFC playoff hunt by a significant margin, but that's about to change with games against the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs up next.
It hasn't always been pretty, but the Steelers have, for the most part, beaten the teams they should beat to put themselves on the cusp of making the playoffs even before they get into the meat of their schedule.
"The Steelers' biggest strength may be that nothing about them stinks too bad," wrote the Pittsburgh Tribune’s Mark Madden. "The NFL has parity at a nauseating level. In a league like that, not having an easily exploited weak spot can go a long way."
The Steelers are dealing with an injury to top wide receiver George Pickens, who didn't play in Sunday's win over the Browns. According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, it's a grade 2 hamstring strain.
Pickens' injury complicates the Steelers' final push to win the AFC North and will be one to monitor this week and next. He leads Pittsburgh with 850 receiving yards.
Cincinnati Bengals: Tee Higgins Is Having a Career Year Before Free Agency
The Cincinnati Bengals already paid Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is eying a megadeal this offseason. Will that leave enough room for fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins?
The contract standoff between Higgins and the Bengals has been going on for a while, with Higgins even requesting a trade this past offseason before playing on the franchise tag when an extension wasn't reached.
The price tag has gone up this season, as Higgins is having his best season, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby, who wrote a feature about Higgins and his future.
Though Higgins has missed five games with soft tissue injuries, he's averaging a career-high 79.7 receiving yards per game and has five touchdowns. He has caught a touchdown in three straight games and will look to keep that going tonight against the Cowboys on "Monday Night Football."
"With free agency looming, he knows what's at stake for him if he can keep his big season going," Baby wrote.
