Travel rarely shows up in the box score, but it can show up on the field. Long flights, time zone changes and disrupted routines take a toll on players, and teams coming back from overseas sometimes look a step slow the following week. Coaches plan around it, but the effects are hard to avoid entirely. One national analyst believes that could help the Browns on Sunday.
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports listed the Browns as one of his Week 8 upset picks against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“All five of their victories have been put together with a game-winning score in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. Meanwhile, the Browns defense is a borderline top-10 unit, allowing 5.0 yards per play and holding opponents to 20.4 points per game. I do wonder if the Steelers will be a little gassed in this contest after flying back from Paris, France, where they played an international matchup with the Saints in Week 7,” Sullivan wrote.
The travel factor is real. Pittsburgh beat the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in Paris last weekend and then had to fly back across the Atlantic and settle into a normal week of preparation. The Browns, meanwhile, made a short trip to Nashville and stayed on their usual schedule.
Sullivan’s other points explain why he trusts Cleveland in a close game. On their 5 game-winning drives, Deshaun Watson has completed 21 of 27 passes for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. That kind of efficiency under pressure is why the Browns keep winning games that come down to the final minutes.
The defense is the other reason. Allowing 5.0 yards per play and just over 20 points per game has kept the Browns within striking distance in every game, and Mike Rutenberg’s unit ranks among the league leaders in sacks.
History is still a big obstacle. The Browns have lost 22 straight regular-season games in Pittsburgh, a streak that dates back to 2003. A win would also give Cleveland its first season sweep of the Steelers since 1988.
Oddsmakers expect the streak to continue. The Steelers are 3.5-point favorites at home, but that line sets up exactly the kind of close game the Browns have thrived in all season.
Both teams are 5-2, and the winner will hold 1st place in the AFC North. If the Steelers are a step slow after their trip to Paris and the game comes down to the final drive again, Sullivan’s upset pick could look like a smart call.
NEXT: Eagles Veteran Could Be The Browns' Next Trade Target
