Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson both struggling in this key area; Steelers have a huge stat to overcome on Thursday night football: Browns pre-game notes

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson are both struggling in the red zone as they meet tonight at Huntington Bank Field. Winston, despite throwing for more than 300 yards in two of his three starts, has gone 1 of 6 in the red zone (16.6%), including 0 of 2 against the Ravens, 1 of 3 against the Chargers and 0 of 1 against the Saints. The one he converted against the Chargers came with 44 seconds left and the Browns trailing 27-3. But Wilson isn’t much better. He failed to convert on four trips inside the red zone during Sunday’s 18-16 victory over the Ravens, and has converted only 25% in the past three games. “This defense in Pittsburgh can win a Super Bowl, this offense cannot,” Orlovsky said. “Right now, Russell Wilson is the worst red zone quarterback in the NFL. I’ll let that sink in. That’s not an assumption, that’s not an opinion, that’s a fact. His QBR in the red zone is an eight.” Overall, the Browns are 23rd in the red zone this season at 52.9%, while the Steelers are 30th at 44.44%. But the Steelers might find a little more success tonight. The Browns have allowed TDs on 8 of their opponents’ last 10 trips inside the 20 for 80%, and are 24th in red zone defense at 63.3% The Steelers, on the other hand, are 8th overall in red zone defense at 48.28% — but have allowed TDs on 62.5% in their last 3. Against the Ravens, Wilson also threw a red zone pick intended for 6-8 tight end Darnell Washington. “Anytime you get down there, we want to score points,” Wilson told Steelers reporters. “Obviously, we were trying to get a touchdown there. I tried to lobbing one up to the big man. But they made a play. In those situations, I’ve obviously made a lot of plays down there creating and everything else. So, you know, that one particular, you know, just throw it away, make it, make it an eight-point game.” A daunting stat for the Steelers to overcome Some say that stats and records can be thrown out the window when the Browns and Steelers meet, but there’s one glaring lopsided stat that could impact tonight’s game: Mike Tomlin is 1-7 on the road on Thursday Night Football, and 0-5 against the AFC North. Overall, the Steelers are 3-11 on Thursday Night Football since it debuted in 1980 What’s more, the Steelers have won only one of their last six meetings in Cleveland, their 15-10 victory on Halloween in 2021. The Browns are 4-1-1 in those games. Conversely, the Steelers are 4-1 on the road this season, and the Browns are 1-4 at home. Browns inactive and lineup changes and who’s starting at left tackle Here are the Browns inactives: