In a prime time Thursday night matchup, the Cleveland Browns travel south to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers - two division rivals moving in opposite directions. The Steelers are 9-3 and currently tied for first place in the AFC west, and in a good position for at least a Wild Card slot, while the Browns are 4-8 and out of playoff contention.
The Browns offense comes into the game a little banged up, with Peyton Hillis listed as questionable as he recovers form a strained hip, OL Tony Pashos listed as questionable with an ankle injury, and Colt McCoy probable with a knee injury. The Browns offense has been struggling even at full strength, as they rank 30th in total offense and 28th in points per game. They have only broken 20 points once all year, and that was against the Colts.
And the Steelers defense is a long way from the Colts. The Steelers are first in the league in total defense. To make matters worse for the Browns, their last four games include top three defenses three times as they play the Steelers twice, and the Ravens once.
The Steelers will be coming after Colt McCoy hard, and McCoy has taken 29 sacks already this season (sixth in the league). James Harrison, who has had 3 sacks in a game twice in the last month, will be licking his chops.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said about Harrison, “When you need him the most he always delivers. I have a canned speech that I give the team from time to time that’s geared toward A-players playing A-ball, particularly in significant moments. He seems to be always one of those guys who responds to those moments.”
“He’s got a terrific motor,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. “I think that’s partly what makes him such a fine player. He plays hard all the time and that’s what you want from a player and I’m sure they feed on that defensively.”
One member of the Browns knows Harrison’s “take no prisoners” attitude better than most. Harrison actually played his college ball at Kent State, where Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs went. Cribbs, then a quarterback, met Harrison early on in college. “He knocked me out,” Cribbs recalled. “Freshman year, the first scrimmage we had — with the red jersey on.”
Harrison was asked about it in a conference call this week, and offered no details, simply saying, “I remember doing something along those lines.”
If the Browns can give McCoy enough time to throw, he’ll be looking for his favorite target, rookie Greg Little. Little is the Browns leading receiver with 50 catches for 513 yards. “He’s a big-bodied strong guy, similar to Dwayne Bowe,” Tomlin said. “This kid is 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and he plays to that size. He’s got a running back background from college, he’s a tough guy to get on the ground after the catch, he’s a big, strong guy.”
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers have moved to a more pass-oriented offense this year. Ben Roethlisberger is having a great year with 19 TDs and only 10 INTs, and third year receiver Mike Wallace as emerged as one of the elite receivers in the NFL. Wallace has 58 receptions for 977 yards and 8 TDs this season, on the heels of his 1,257-yard season last year, where he averaged 21 yards per reception.
“I think he runs good routes, but I think he’s extremely fast as well.” Shurmur said of Wallace, who is one of the fastest men in the league.
The Steelers receiving corps is so good that Hines Ward has been challenged for playing time, as Wallace and Antonio Brown have gotten most of the balls. Brown has 50 receptions for 774 yards, making Pittsburgh one of four teams in the league with 2 receivers in the top 20 for yardage (along with New England, Green Bay, and the New York Giants). Tight end Heath Miller is third with 41 catches for 497 yards.
The Browns defense matches up well to this offense, as they have the top passing defense in the league, giving up just 173 passing yards per game. Unfortunately, they rank 31st against the run, and Pittsburgh does still have the ability to run the ball if necessary with Rashard Mendenhall.
Overall, this game stacks up very strong in Pittsburgh’s favor. If the Browns defense can limit the Steelers offense, the Browns offense seems unlikely to be able to score enough points for the victory. Looks like a bumpy ride for Browns fans, who get to look forward to the rematch on New Years Day.
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