Steelers vs. Browns, Week 18: Predicting the winner of Steelers vs. Browns

The 2022 regular season is full swing, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. While the Steelers get ready for their final home game of the season, it is time for the BTSC staff to put on their prognostication hats and guess the winner of the contest.

Who will get closest? We will be keeping tabs, so let’s get the picks. Check out the staff picks below:

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Jeff Hartman

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive, and while they still need help they have the motivation. It’s been a while since the Steelers provided a drubbing to the Browns, and while a one touchdown score is far from a drubbing, 24 points will be something to talk about for the faithful. I think the Steelers continue to play well, run the football and end the regular season on a 4-game winning streak. As for the other games, well, we’ll see how things play out.

Pick: Steelers 24, Browns 17

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Dave Schofield

The Steelers have turned in some impressive performances over the last few weeks, particularly on defense while being very efficient on offense. I think this is the week they can really put it together and win a game more decisively than they have in a while. Time to get a few more points while still keeping their opponent’s total low. Let’s get it done!

Pick: Steelers 24, Browns 13

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Bryan Anthony Davis

I feel that the Steelers have accomplished way too much in the last eight weeks to drop the proverbial ball against Cleveland. Kenny and company will finish off with a bang and excite e t fir 2023. However, I’m getting really nervous about the Jets in Miami. The Steelers triumph by the score of 29-24, but they finish short of the postseason due to that dreadful start.

Pick: Steelers 29, Browns 24

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K.T. Smith

The Steelers are grinding out wins using an age-old formula: play great defense, run the football and control the clock on offense, win the turnover battle, and get some big plays from your quarterback when it matters most. That’s a stark contrast from their early-season formula, which was to get dominated at both lines of scrimmage, turn the ball over a lot and have the QB play like a chicken without its head. Credit Mike Tomlin for another great coaching job in keeping his team invested and competitive and his players for continuing to fight. Now all it takes is a win over a flawed Cleveland squad and some help from the Jets and Bills to clinch the most unlikely playoff spot in recent memory. Let’s make that happen...

Pick: Steelers 23, Browns 17

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Geoffrey Benedict

A healthy Steelers team wins this game but looking at the injury report (as of Thursday) I don’t like what I’m seeing, and I think this is where the Steelers comeback ends. I hope I’m wrong, but the only way the Steelers pull this out is to stuff Nick Chubb without overcommitting to run defense, and I don’t see it without Larry Ogunjobi and Myles Jack being in good health.

Pick: Browns 17, Steelers 15

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Rich Schofield (Big Bro Scho)

Playoff? We're talking about playoffs? Yes, still a chance if the Steelers win. On the bright side, the Steelers are undefeated in Pittsburgh since the end of COVID, when I attend the game (including preseason). I will be in attendance on Sunday, so I am expecting to see another Steelers win.

Pick: Steelers 24, Browns 14

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Shannon White

This week's game against the Cleveland Browns will mark the third straight week of playoff type intensity for the good guys in Black and Gold. The high pressure circumstances of multiple win or your done scenarios during the regular season has provided the talented young Steelers roster invaluable experience. The reality that Kenny Pickett and company have risen to the challenge on back to back occasions with game winning touchdown drives in the closing seconds of their previous two contests suggest that the Steelers might be on the precipice of something special. I believe that Kenny Pickett will do it again, engineering another game winning drive late in the fourth quarter. The only difference; this time it's a Chris Boswell field goal. I am sticking with my Know Your Enemy podcast prediction yet again.

Pick: Steelers 23, Browns 20

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Jeremy Betz

It’s all on the line for Pittsburgh in their Week 18 matchup vs Cleveland, and I expect the team to play like it. The Fighting Nick Chubbs come to Pittsburgh ready to knock their hated rival out of the playoffs, likely using their Week 3 triumph as the blueprint for a sweep. But this is a different Steelers team than they were that fateful Thursday night 15 weeks ago. The run D has been stellar (for the most part) and the offense is controlling the game with a life-squeezing run game of their own. And it turns out, having a good running game is how you beat the Browns right now. Look for Pittsburgh to take control early at home, with the Browns scoring a late TD to make the score look respectable.

Pick: Steelers 20, Browns 14

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Bradley Locker

Now that the Steelers have made it all the way up the climb to 8-8, I just can’t pick against them in this situation. Beyond simply emotional pull, Pittsburgh has won 18 straight regular-season home contests against Cleveland. Matchup-wise, this one also should favor the Steelers. Tomlin’s defense has been especially stout late in the year; that bodes well against a Browns offense that has scored over 20 points in five games with Deshaun Watson. The Steelers take care of business and, much like in 2018 and 2021, scoreboard watch to determine their playoff fates.

Pick: Steelers 20, Browns 17

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Kyle Chrise (What Yinz Talkin’ Bout)

A loss will make it Tomlin’s worst single season. A win will make it one of his best. Also on the line: a losing record at home for the first time in more than 50 years. Plus, the Browns could sweep the Steelers for the first time in 35 years. Pittsburgh will be fueled by pride and will not want to go down in history for all the wrong reasons.

Pick: Steelers 20, Browns 16

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Anthony Defeo

The Browns may want to ruin the Steelers playoffs dreams on the final week of the 2022 regular season, but they likely want to get their offseason started even more. In other words, I don’t think their bodies will be in the mood to cash any of the checks their mouths may have written about wanting to play spoiler. I would predict some huge blowout score, but that just doesn’t seem possible with these Steelers.

Pick: Steelers 17, Browns 9

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What is your prediction? Let us know in the comment section below, and feel free to tell the contributors above why they are dead wrong, or spot on!