The Pittsburgh Steelers started their year 0-3, then 1-4. Things were looking bleak. They had a backup quarterback in (Mason Rudolph) after Ben Roethlisberger went down with an injury, and could not seem to close out games.
Since then though, the Steelers have won four straight. They are now 5-4 and in a position to make a playoff push. In Week 11 they face off with AFC North division rivals, the Cleveland Browns (3-6).
Can Pittsburgh keep up its winning ways? Or will Cleveland make it two straight? If the Steelers are to defeat the Browns in Week 11, here are four reasons why.
Defense
The Pittsburgh defense has looked really good in recent weeks. That should be no surprise as they have some absolute studs on the roster.
T.J. Watt leads the team with an impressive 9.5 sacks. However, Bud Dupree (6) and Cameron Hayward (5.5) are not far behind him.
The defense has 33 sacks total. That's the third-most in the entire league. Only the San Francisco 49ers (35) and the Carolina Panthers (36) have more.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have 26 takeaways, the second-most in the NFL (New England Patriots lead with 27).
This defense has been a well-oiled machine lately. One that just shut down the Los Angeles Rams with great effect.
At the same time, the Browns have given up 25 sacks (around the middle of the pack) and have the fifth-most giveaways in the NFL with 17.
There's no reason to believe the Steelers won't make a few plays that can alter the game on defense in Week 11. If that happens, they could definitely walk out with their fifth-straight win.
James Conner
Pittsburgh running back James Conner had his best game of the season in Week 8. Against the Miami Dolphins, Conner ran for 145 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries (6.3 yards per carry). All four of those numbers either tied or set a new season-high for Conner.
However, he has not played since then with an injury.
Now he should be ready to go, though, and that will be big. Conner isn't having the best year (3.9 yards per carry), but he's a workhorse and showed last year that he can get hot. If he can build off his last performance, great things are in store.
Oh, and the Browns have the sixth-worst rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 134.9 rushing yards per game.
There's no reason to believe a healthy Conner can run all over that defense. That takes a lot of pressure off Mason Rudolph and the passing game. It also helps Pittsburgh win the time of possession battle and keeps the defense rested.
Minkah Fitzpatrick
I purposely did not bring up Minkah Fitzpatrick when talking about the defense. The reason for that is, wow, this man deserves his own slot.
It's pretty safe to say that Fitzpatrick has been one of the best defensive backs in the NFL since being traded to the Steelers from the Dolphins.
Fitzpatrick now has 46 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eight pass deflections and two defensive touchdowns on the year.
Those two defensive touchdowns have come in back-to-back weeks. It's the first time since 1984 that a Steelers player has defensive touchdowns in back-to-back weeks (Sam Washington). So it's safe to say he's doing things that haven't been done in a long time.
Fitzpatrick has helped to transform the defense into one that can limit the other offense while making game-changing plays at any moment.
With Cleveland's turnover issues, he's in a great position to make another big play in Week 11. Those tend to come with Pittsburgh wins.
Momentum
The Steelers have all the moment in the world right now. They were 1-4 and the sky was falling. Now they are 5-4 and people are talking about them as legitimate playoff contenders.
Meanwhile, the Browns are coming off a win as well. However, at 3-6 they have a lot more work to do.
Each of Cleveland's first two wins was both followed up with losses in their next game. So you'll excuse me for not being completely confident that they can string two wins together.
Everyone counted out the Steelers after the Roethlisberger injury. Instead, they've rallied. Meanwhile, almost every analyst had the Browns as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They likely won't even make the playoffs.
All of the momenta is thrown in Pittsburgh's direction. That could play a major factor in this Week 11 matchup, and the Steelers could walk out with their fifth-straight win and a 6-4 record.
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