When the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night they will be looking to extend their four-game winning streak and hold onto their grip on the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture. The Steelers are finally getting healthy and other guys are finally getting traction and there’s no time to waste. Here are the five guys we can’t wait to watch this week.
RB James Conner
Conner missed the last two games with a shoulder injury but he didn’t even show up on the team’s injury report. This is great news for a run game that has struggled to do anything without him. We are most curious to see if the Steelers just turn Conner loose or if he works on a pitch count as he continues to heal up.
WR James Washington
Over the course of the last two games, we have all seen the chemistry between quarterback Mason Rudolph and Washington get better. Washington has 10 receptions for 159 yards in the last two games and is quickly becoming the most reliable target in the Steelers passing offense.
RT Matt Feiler
With the return of guard Ramon Foster, Feiler should return to his natural position at right tackle. What this gets him is a full day of dealing with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. Garrett has four sacks and three forced fumbles in three games against the Steelers. He’s got 10 sacks already this season. Feiler better pack a lunch because it might be a long day.
LB Vince Williams
Cleveland suddenly has a two-headed rushing attack with Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb. The Browns are even incorporating both guys into formations at the same time. Williams is the team’s stoutest run defender at linebacker and should see a heavy workload, especially if the game is close.
CB Mike Hilton
Last week we saw Hilton, typically the team’s best slot cornerback for blitzing and run support chasing Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp for much of the game. And he did a great job. Don’t be shocked if Cleveland moves Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry around and they end up in the slot to try to draw Hilton in coverage.
