Overview
- The Browns confirmed Saturday that Mike Hall Jr. is off the injury report and will play Sunday, joining Mason Graham to make both starting defensive tackles available for the first time since their Oct. 1 injuries.
- Graham missed multiple games with a sprained MCL and a sprained ankle and returned last week, while Hall left the Oct. 1 game with a high-ankle sprain after recording a sack and then missed three contests.
- Coaches say the pair’s reunification should increase interior disruption and improve run fits after Cleveland allowed season-high rushing totals in recent weeks.
- Cleveland elevated practice-squad linebacker/lineman Sam Kamara and relied on veterans Maliek Collins and Adin Huntington during the starters’ absences, a rotation that is likely to change now that both starters are available.
- The timing matters for standings and team culture because the game affects first place in the AFC North and offers Cleveland a chance to win on Pittsburgh’s field for the first time in the regular season since 2003.