Reeling Steelers visit winless Browns
Memorable series moment
Browns 13, Steelers 6
Dec. 10, 2009 at Cleveland Browns Stadium
With the Steelers riding a four-game losing streak into winless Cleveland for a game on the blustery lakefront, it鈥檚 time to take another look at one of the worst losses of the Mike Tomlin era. On this Thursday night, the 6-6 Steelers 鈥� minus Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith 鈥� hoped to break a four-game losing streak against the 1-11 Browns. Ben Roethlisberger didn鈥檛 come out to warm up in the 48-mph gusts that caused a wind chill of -6 that night. Even then, OC Bruce Arians drew up a pass-first game plan that had Roethlisberger completing 18 of 32 passes and taking eight sacks, five of which came on third downs. The run-centric Browns kicked a couple of field goals, and after a fumbled punt return was negated by a holding call on Tyrone Carter they scored the game鈥檚 only touchdown to take a 13-0 lead late in the half. All the Steelers could muster were two Jeff Reed field goals in losing their fifth straight and falling to 6-7.
Tale of the tape
鈥淭wo Browns interest me. Danny Shelton鈥檚 a three-down nose tackle who is really fun to watch. He鈥檚 like a pachyderm. He鈥檚 armor-plated. He鈥檚 strong, has great feet and excellent power to take on the double-team or beat a center one-on-one on a pass rush. He reminds me of some of the guys in Baltimore who the Steelers鈥� inner three had problems with. Jamie Collins is also interesting. In between playing inside linebacker, outside linebacker and the stack, he鈥檚 a good pass-rusher. He looks like he鈥檚 feeling his way into this (since being traded by New England). But I saw that smirk on his face on 缅北禁地Center when something not-so-good happened to Cleveland. He kind of laughed, and I had to think (Bill) Belichick got rid of him for a reason other than the contract. Be interesting to see what he comes up with.鈥� 鈥� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
Top question
Can the Steelers take the ball away?
The Browns are second in the NFL in interceptions thrown (11), fumbles (8) and sacks allowed (30). The Steelers, though, have taken the ball away only 10 times this season and are tied for last in the NFL with only 13 sacks. Pressure on the quarterback results in turnovers, so the Steelers need to get 鈥渉ome鈥� with James Harrison and Anthony Chickillo as the defense鈥檚 fourth different set of edge-rushing bookends this season. The two have a combined 4.5 sacks this season. Harrison is a half-sack away from tying Jason Gildon鈥檚 all-time team record of 77 sacks and Chickillo is a half-sack away from tying the injured Cameron Heyward for the team lead with three.
Game breakdown
What to look for from the Steelers at 1 p.m. today at FirstEnergy Stadium:
ON OFFENSE: The weather forecast in Cleveland calls for a high of 39 with 26-mph winds gusting to 38 mph. And it鈥檚 usually worse there on the lake. Ben Roethlisberger said the key to throwing the ball in the wind is 鈥淪pinning it. You鈥檝e got to spin the ball. And I鈥檓 not a guy who, when I throw it, spins it a lot. So I鈥檒l wear a glove this week in practice because if there鈥檚 going to be 30-mph wind, I鈥檓 going to have to wear a glove on Sunday.鈥� Roethlisberger has a history of playing well in poor weather, but do Cobi Hamilton, Eli Rogers and the tight ends? The Browns allow a wretched 12.7 yards per completion, and Steelers fans thought their defense couldn鈥檛 tackle the catch (11.6 ypc).
ON DEFENSE: In the 3.5 games the Steelers either played without Cameron Heyward or played with him using only one good arm, the Steelers allowed 27 points per game, 5.2 yards per carry and averaged 1.1 sacks per game. With Heyward, they allowed 20 points per game, 3.6 yards per carry and averaged 1.6 sacks per game. He will, of course, be a big loss for a defense that 鈥� at 4.32 yards allowed per carry 鈥� is on pace to surprass the 2013-14 seasons (4.31 combined), and the 1999 season (4.34) as the worst rushing defenses since the merger.
Prediction
The good news concerning the loss of Heyward is that the Browns have one of the worst left guards 鈥� Spencer Drango 鈥� in the NFL. He teams with one of the worst centers 鈥� Cameron Erving 鈥� while Browns left tackle Joe Thomas has been struggling with a bad knee. Browns WR Terrell Pryor will no doubt fulfill his promise of making a great play against the Steelers, but Ben Roethlisberger should outplay the popgun-armed rookie QB of the Browns, Cody Kessler, in the gusting winds. Steelers, 27-17.
Downloads
鈥� In his seven starts against the Browns, Antonio Brown has averaged 7 receptions for 114 yards. He needs five receptions for 600 in his career and 76 receiving yards for 8,000. So if Brown turns in his typical performance, he鈥檒l join Hines Ward as the only members of the Steelers鈥� 600-8,000 club.
鈥� With Markus Wheaton on Injured Reserve, the juggling for offensive coordinator Todd Haley continues. Haley said he鈥檚 never seen 鈥渢his many receivers in and out of the lineup鈥� in his coaching career. Yet, through nine games, the group opposite Brown has 58 receptions for 935 yards and 8 touchdowns. Last year鈥檚 group of WRs opposite Brown had 49 receptions for 753 yards and 7 touchdowns at the same point, and that was with Ben Roethlisberger missing four of the nine games.
鈥� Fullback Roosevelt Nix has played only eight offensive snaps all season, but Roethlisberger raved about one of Nix鈥檚 two snaps last Sunday against the Cowboys: 鈥淗e, in my opinion, helped get Le鈥橵eon (Bell) in the end zone more than anybody. He cleared out that hole, Le鈥橵eon split it. So we鈥檒l continue to use him as we see fit and I think we鈥檒l even use him more in the pass game because he鈥檚 a really good receiver as well.鈥�
鈥� DC Keith Butler on what he expects from the activated OLB Bud Dupree today: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a double-whammy here now. This is his second year in the league. This is not his fifth year or sixth year in league where he can come back and automatically know everything that鈥檚 going on. So he鈥檚 still in a learning situation and he鈥檚 still trying to get back healthy. So we鈥檒l have to see if we go with him.鈥�
鈥� Sean Davis worked this week as the first-team strong safety and expects to replace Rob Golden in the starting lineup today. Said Butler: 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a lot of talent and he鈥檚 still learning. We鈥檙e trying to keep him in situations where we don鈥檛 ask too much of him in terms of the game, mentally. We鈥檙e not dumbing down things or anything like that, but we do want to give him a chance to be successful at what we ask him to.鈥�
Parting shot
鈥淚鈥檓 not really focused on reps or opportunities. I鈥檓 just focused on getting this win.鈥� 鈥� Ricardo Mathews, one of the DL replacing Heyward.