Browns vs. Steelers – Week 17
Sixteen weeks after they lined-up for the season opener in Tampa, the Browns close out the regular season today against Pittsburgh.
The Opposition
Pittsburgh: 11-4
Offensive rank: 15th overall/16th passing/9th rushing
Defensive rank: 2nd overall/14th passing/1st rushing
All-time record: Browns trail 61-56, but lead the series 35-22 at home. The Browns broke an eight-game home losing streak to the Steelers with last year’s 13-6 win.
The line: Browns +5.5
What to Watch For
How Colt McCoy looks in his second chance against the Steelers. In the first game in Week 6, McCoy threw for 281 yards and had a QB rating of 80.5. Now that he knows what to expect from the Pittsburgh defense.
Of course, the Steelers have tape on McCoy as well and, as well as McCoy played the first time, he did throw two interceptions and was sacked six times.
And that was with a healthy Peyton Hillis in the backfield. Hillis may be out – or limited – today with a rib injury, which would put Mike Bell (oh boy) and a (hopefully healthy) Josh Cribbs as the focus of the running game against Pittsburgh’s top-rated rush defense.
Defensively the Browns need to get pressure on Ben Roethlisberger. After sacking Roethlisberger eight times in their win last season, the Browns couldn’t get to him this year in Pittsburgh.
The Best Browns vs. Steelers Game I’ve Seen
There have been a lot to choose from: Turkey Jones stuffing Terry Bradshaw, David Mays coming off the bench to beat the Steelers, the overtime win in 1986. But the one that stands out is the 1983 game, Brian Sipe’s last in a Cleveland uniform, which the Browns won 30-17 in the season’s final game.
Video clips are here, here, here, here, here and here. No surprise that in the clips the Steelers are called for multiple personal fouls. The more things change …
The Plain Dealer‘s game story is here.
The Prediction
Once again, it’s hard to see the Browns winning today. The Steelers need this game to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs and the Browns are too injured to realistically expect an upset.
Sadly, after a long season of marked improvement, the Browns will end the year with the same record as last year, but will enter the off-season with a four-game losing streak, rather than a winning streak.
And tomorrow morning the jackals will descend on Berea hoping to pick over Eric Mangini’s carcass. Will Mike Holmgren leave them disappointed?
Record picking the Browns (using the point spread) this year: 3-11-1.
Red Right 88 