Browns vs. Steelers: Why Pittsburgh Should Dominate Thursday Night Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers have turned things around after a slow start to the season and are now 9-3 and in contention for the top spot in the AFC. Tonight they face a Cleveland Browns team that has been a complete disappointment this season, currently sitting at 4-8 and residing at the bottom of the AFC North. Unless something drastic happens, the Steelers will dominate their division rival Thursday night.

The Browns fell to 3-18 inside the division since 2008 thanks to a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Cleveland looked sluggish and had trouble moving the football against Baltimore's tough defense.

Meanwhile, the Steelers turned in one of their best performances of the season with a 35-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns (both to Mike Wallace), Rashard Mendenhall rushed for two scores and linebacker James Harrison collected three sacks to boost the defense. It was an all-around effort that solidified Pittsburgh as one of the NFL's top teams.

The big difference in the Steelers' play over the past three games has been their rushing offense. Pittsburgh is averaging 116.3 yards rushing over that stretch, compared to 86.3 over the previous three games. In addition to that, the Steelers have won seven of their last eight games. Simply put, they're rolling right now.

The Browns have lost seven of their last nine, and their offense simply isn't generating enough yards. Cleveland currently ranks 30th in the league in total offense, averaging just 290.7 yards per game. Against Pittsburgh's top-ranked defense (allowing just 273.8 yards per game) I just don't see any way the Browns will be able to generate any offense.

The Steelers are playing their best football of the season, and that will continue tonight as they roll to a home win over the Browns.