Cleveland Browns: Week 1 Predictions Against Pittsburgh Steelers

5 predictions for the Cleveland Browns Week 1 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Cleveland Browns begin the National Football League season in Cleveland at 1 p.m. on Sunday against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 2014, the two teams opened against each other, with the Steelers winning the game 30-27 in Pittsburgh. The Browns last win in the matchup occurred later in the 2014 season, when the team won in Cleveland 31-10.

Many things have changed since then for Cleveland since then. The Browns have gone through numerous quarterbacks and have changed regimes. Rookie DeShone Kizer will make his first career start this weekend. Head coach Hue Jackson, de-facto general manager Sashi Brown and Co. begin their second season with the team. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will be coaching in his first regular season game for Cleveland.

As for Pittsburgh, not much has changed since the Browns last win in the series. Head coach Mike Tomlin remains at the helm. Ben Roethlisberger is entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback. His weapons, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and LeVeon Bell, remain fairly similar. Former Browns cornerback Joe Haden will make his Steelers debut after being released by the team just one week ago.

While the Browns are 9.5 point underdogs at home, the team’s strong preseason play foreshadows potentially a closer game.