The way both teams have been winning tells you most of what to expect. All 4 Cleveland wins in the last 5 came by 3 points, and the loss to the Jets ended 17-12. Pittsburgh has also lived in close games: a 3-point win over Cincinnati, the 3-point loss in Cleveland, an overtime win in Tampa and a 6-point grind in Paris where Chris Boswell's 3 field goals carried the offense. The board expects more of the same, with a low total and the Steelers laying a little more than a field goal at home.
The first meeting is the obvious starting point. Cleveland won 27-24 on a Thursday night, and that is the only game in Pittsburgh's last 5 that it lost. Since then the Steelers have won 3 straight, beating the Colts, the Bucs and the Saints. Jaylen Warren ran for 101 yards on 18 carries in Paris, and Rico Dowdle caught all 6 of his targets, so Pittsburgh's backfield is doing a lot of the work that its passing game hasn't. DK Metcalf caught only 2 of his 6 targets against New Orleans, though they went for 56 yards.
Pittsburgh's schedule is a factor. The Steelers flew to France and back for the Saints game and then host a division rival that beat them a month ago. Cleveland's secondary is also worth watching. Myles Harden left the Titans game with a hamstring injury, Noah Igbinoghene was inactive, and Denzel Ward played through a hand injury. If the Browns are short at corner, Metcalf could get the one-on-one matchups he didn't get in Paris.
Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, November 1, and the early forecast is cloudy and about 70 degrees with a 42% chance of rain and little wind. Both teams are 5-2 and come in with plenty of rivalry history. The difference is that Cleveland's offensive line has a lot more question marks than Pittsburgh's pass rush does.