The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to face off against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 of the 2023 season on Sunday. The forecast for the matchup completely shifted on Wednesday when it was reported that Deshaun Watson would not just miss the game, but the remainder of the season. A big AFC North matchup has now shifted from Kenny Pickett facing off against Watson to the Steelers' quarterback going up against rookie, Dorian-Thompson Robinson. Both franchises sit at 6-3 and are roughly a month of good football away from heading into the playoffs with a shot at a Super Bowl run.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin looks in the distance as his players practice during 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
There is no reason to doubt the Browns' playoff chances after Watson's season-ending injury. Cleveland has, arguably, the best defense in the league. Any Steelers fan doubting their division rival's ability to make a serious run could be considered hypocritical given the fact that the only chance Pittsburgh has to make postseason noise will come at the hands of TJ Watt and co.
The Browns are an interesting team in the NFL's AFC contender conversation. The organization hasn't hosted a playoff game since 1994 and, now, in 2023 have one of their best squads in some time. The unfortunate reality for the fan base is that they are stuck in the league's best division and now will be without their $230 million quarterback for the remainder of the year.
Thompson-Robinson has a unique skill set and PJ Walker is a savvy veteran, but no one should be kicking themselves more than Cleveland's General Manager, Andrew Berry. He, and the coaching staff, made the decision to trade away who is now looked at as having one of the best stories in the NFL. They signed Joshua Dobbs in March, but he was dealt to the Arizona Cardinals prior to the 2023 season beginning.
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Former Steelers quarterback, Joshua Dobbs (#5) makes a pass in front of Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada during 2021 training camp at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
Fast forward to November and Dobbs, a former Steelers draft pick, has landed with the Minnesota Vikings after the Cardinals traded him before the Halloween trade deadline. In two games with the Vikings, Dobbs has been responsible for two wins, which now has Minnesota in the thick of things in the NFC playoff picture. He has thrown for 426 yards and three touchdowns while completing over 67 percent of his passes.
One of the more impressive areas of his game in Minnesota has been him utilizing his legs. He has rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He has done all of this without superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, who is expected to be back any week now. A lot was made of the former Steelers' fourth-round selection having a career record of 3-14 as a starter when the Vikings decided to give the Cardinals a sixth-round pick for him.
He is proving to finally be settling in as a starting signal-caller in the NFL and now, will enter a crucial stretch of his career. The Vikings have to face the Cincinnati Bengals once, the Detroit Lions twice, and the three matchups will all come in the final four weeks of the season. Dobbs has a legitimate chance to lead a team to the playoffs, while the Browns might be on their couches at home if they get terrible quarterback play the rest of the way.
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Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski looks in the distance as he stands on the sidelines during a professional football game.
Steelers Finding Ways To Haunt The Browns And Their Fan Base
Fans in Cleveland will probably shut down the Dobbs talk and say he's just a good story that will eventually fizzle out. They are right to be excited for Thompson-Robinson, but starting 6-3 isn't a common thing for the franchise. With a stout defense and former Pro Bowl quarterback, the 2023 season seemed like their first legitimate shot to contend in a long time.
Instead, a former Steelers draft pick, and the decision to part ways with him, could have Cleveland's fan base livid if they have to watch another postseason that just has them rooting for AFC North teams to lose, and not their own team to win. Sure, the Browns defeated Pittsburgh back in the 2020 playoffs, but overall, they have only been in three playoff games since 2002. The Steelers, in the same timeframe, have three Super Bowl appearances, two wins and 25 postseason games played.
Halloween is over, but the ghost of Dobbs might haunt the Browns for some time. They traded away a guy for basically nothing who now, in November, is lighting the league on fire. Poor performances from Thompson-Robinson or Walker will have the organization regretting that for an extremely long time.
Do you think that the Browns should have traded Dobbs in August? Let us know in the comments below!
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