Browns sound like they picked up a small but important win a couple of days before they face the Steelers
Cleveland Browns have some good news to begin the week before they face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
The Cleveland Browns are 2-1 through three games, and that’s a surprise for most people who didn’t have Cleveland sitting a game above .500 at this point in the season.
A late comeback win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 has the Browns in a solid position heading into their first divisional test. Now the real fun starts.
Cleveland will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC North battle between two teams vying for first place, and it will come under the primetime lights of Thursday Night Football. The Steelers are looking to move to 2-0 in divisional play, while the Browns will have their first AFC North game of the season.
Tyson Campbell trending toward playing Thursday
Ahead of the matchup, it sounds like the Browns have some good news on the injury front. Browns coach Todd Monken revealed that he feels good about cornerback Tyson Campbell playing against the Steelers on Thursday night and that Campbell was close to suiting up against the Panthers before an ankle injury kept him sidelined.
Without Campbell available in Week 3, Cleveland was forced to lean on its boundary depth opposite Denzel Ward. Getting Campbell back for this AFC North showdown would be significant because Pittsburgh’s pass catchers present a serious size challenge. Between DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman, the Steelers deploy a pair of big-bodied receivers Campbell matches up well against. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Campbell is an athletic corner who mirrors those larger targets with his size and ability to stay with them downfield.
Ward played lockdown defense in Week 3, holding Panthers star wide receiver Tet McMillan to one catch on two targets in 26 matchups in coverage, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That’s a strong game from Ward, and having Campbell back opposite him would give this Browns defense its full capability heading into a matchup that demands it.
The Steelers deploy a better wide receiver duo than the Panthers, and Cleveland being healthy in the cornerback room is a key part of the Browns’ chances to put out another strong defensive showing on Thursday night.
Some good news to start the week for the Browns, who aren’t dealing with any major injuries through the first three weeks of the regular season.
