Steelers Face Browns In Season-Ending Game - Will Lightning Strike Twice?

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be going into the final weekend of the 2013 NFL regular season with one goal: beat the Cleveland Browns.

Not only because they are the Steelers' longtime rivals and they always want to beat them, but it's also imperative because it is the only part of the Steelers' immediate future that they themselves can actually control. With them needing three teams - the Ravens, Dolphins and Chargers - to lose, the thing that the Steelers must do first is take care of home.

Though they did just that back in Week 12, in a 27-11 win in Cleveland, it wasn't the most impressive of showings. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for only 217 yards, they only ran for a total of 88 yards as a team and Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon torched them for 237 yards and a touchdown.

The maturation of the Steelers' offense, though, has seen scoring come more easily lately. This could bode well for the Steelers as the Browns have given up an average of 29.6 points per game over the last three weeks, with them being 0-3 in that span.

During that same period, the Browns have given up an average of 5.23 yards per rush per team. Which is something that should put a smile on the face of Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell and of those on the Steelers offensive line.

As for the defense as a whole, though, the Browns are still formidable. They rank 10th in total defense in yards against, ninth in pass defense and have collected 39 sacks. The Steelers will need all hands on deck in pass blocking and the passing game.

That means that if Steelers' WR Emmanuel Sanders, who is listed as "Questionable" for Sunday's game, isn't able to go, or if rookie WR Markus Wheaton is still limited, as he was in practice, by his fractured finger, we may see Derek Moye take the field.

It could also mean more from tight ends Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth, utilizing Miller in bunch-receiver formations and Spaeth in more of a traditional blocker-receiver tight end role, along with WR Jericho Cotchery and especially team MVP and Pro Bowler Antonio Brown.

"He's exceeded expectations," Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley said of Brown. "{And} he's represented himself well as a No. 1 in this league." Haley also spoke on the situation with Manny and his "questionable" knee. - http://tinyurl.com/l28bvrg

Expect the Steelers to move Brown around in different formations to force the Browns to show their hands, allowing Big Ben to audible or check out of a pass into a run when applicable. Bell, who is recognizing his running lanes better now, runs very well out of a one-back set as it gives him a clean look at those lanes.

So, expect a lot of the Killa B's - Big Ben, Brown and Bell - early on to establish the offense, push them back on their heels and get on top allowing the defense to pin their ears back when they're on the field.

Speaking of the defense, Steelers DC Dick LeBeau says he 'expects to see Jason Campbell' at quarterback and that the Browns will likely use wildcat formations. - http://tinyurl.com/nxmct2s

Throwing for only one touchdown and four interceptions in the last two games he has played in means the Steelers will attack Campbell. The Steelers should attack with the zone blitz, confusing and hitting him causing him to press and throw when and where he doesn't want to, forcing the incompletions and turnovers of which Campbell is very capable.

One way to do this is to line up 2014 Pro Bowler Troy Polamalu in his pseudo-linebacker role to help Lawrence Timmons, Vince Williams, Jason Worilds and Jarvis Jones. They are essential in making Campbell as uncomfortable as possible because the Browns' running game has been suspect and they rely heavily on one person.

As stated earlier, Josh Gordon torched the Steelers for 237 receiving yards in their November meeting. Knowing his abilities, they don't want lightning to strike twice - "We need to stop him from catching it." - though, they may not have much say in the matter. - http://tinyurl.com/m2puepu

Gordon has been virtually scary in the last five weeks. Including the Steelers game, he has had 40 receptions for 813 yards, a 20.6 yard-per-catch clip. He is used in wildcat and/or stretch formations running the ball as the Browns are doing whatever they can to get him the ball.

Per Pro Football Focus, he is also third in the NFL in yards after the catch (YAC) with 629. To call him a formidable receiver is a gross understatement.

The key? "We need to stop him from catching it." Also, "the other team's quarterback must go down and he must go down hard." Plain and simple, hit Campbell early and often, force mistakes. 

As brought out earlier in the article, the Steelers had five sacks and a interception returned for a touchdown in the first meeting, and here, not with Gordon, is where they need lightning to strike twice.

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TIDBITS: Status report for Steelers vs Browns: LB Garvin is out; WR Sanders, OLB Worilds questionable. David DeCastro and everyone else is probable.

Worilds leads the Steelers in sacks (eight). Sanders is second on the team in targets (106), catches (65) and receiving yards (714). DDC, meanwhile, has started all but one game this season.

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Antonio Brown makes the Pro Bowl as both receiver and punt returner. Troy Polamalu makes it at strong safety.

Turnover-Free, Ball-Control Steelers Surging, Beat Browns 27-11

Remember the 1991 movie "Hook?" The Lost Boys are in obvious disbelief that the shadow-of-his-former-self Peter Banning that Tinkerbell has brought them is their Peter Pan. It wasn't until Pockets smoothed away the wrinkles and looked deeper that the real deal could be seen: "Oh, there you are, Peter!"

The first four weeks of the season were like Peter Banning -- 0-4, -11 in turnover ratio and in disarray on offense and defense.

Since then, the edges have been smoothed out, the team focused and galvanized and have turned around the turnovers. They're starting to look like a team who might just be a legitimate contender come playoff time.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Right?

"Can't," Roethlisberger said after being asked about playoff scenarios. "I'm not looking around. It's all about focusing on one game because that's all we can control, you know?"

For the most part, the Steelers have done just that and have shown a resilience in the past few weeks that has brought them back to, not just respectability, but a team with which to be reckoned.

They are +7 in turnover ratio in the last three weeks, are creating turnovers and controlling the ball, are protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (just one sack in two weeks and none Sunday) and at least are running the ball effectively (80 yards on 23 rushes for Le'Veon Bell). Just as we said in the pre-game piece, turnovers were key. - http://ifitaintsteel.blogspot.com/2013/11/roethlisberger-turnovers-will-be-key-to.html

They also have become very comfortable with Todd Haley's offense and are incorporating the no-huddle efficiently if not impressively.

"I think it’s growing on this team, I think it's growing on the city of Pittsburgh. I think everyone likes it," wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said of the no-huddle. "We've got one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He can throw. Why not use him? He likes it, it's been successful."

"We said coming [into the first] series 'no-huddle', but think all runs," Big Ben said. "Even on third down, run it. Even on the second series."

It worked yet again, but not just there. The Steelers No. 1 wide receiver, Antonio Brown, was again one of the stars of the game partly because of it. His anticipated matchup with the Browns cornerback Joe Haden was advantage: Brown. AB caught six balls for 92 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown pass.

After the game, Joe Haden was classy and succinct when speaking on allowing the score: “That’s a good receiver, a good quarterback, making a good play. I’m saying I got beat.”

In all, AB has posted at least five receptions in 11 straight games this season, which is a franchise record, and is only the fourth wide receiver in Steelers history with an 80-reception season (Hines Ward - 2001-04, '08-09; Yancey Thigpen - 1995; and John Stallworth - 1984).

The defense, though giving up 367 total yards and 237 receiving yards to Josh Gordon (most of which coming because of being down most of the game and Ike Taylor more-or-less giving up late), was viciously reminiscent of Steelers defenses of the past recording five sacks, nine quarterback hurries, four quarterback hits, forced and recovered three fumbles and had one partridge-in-a-pear-tree pick six. The wealth was spread evenly as well.

Cornerback William Gay notched the pick six, as well as a strip sack of Browns quarterback Jason Campbell, which led to a touchdown. Troy Polamalu forced a fumble (he has two on the day) and the Steelers' recovery led to a field goal. The Steelers sack attack of Browns' quarterbacks Campbell and Brandon Weeden were led by Al Woods' two sacks and by outside linebacker Jason Worilds' six QB pressures.

"I just enjoy being out there. Being out there consistently," said Worilds. It allows me to open up some of the things I do."

You want to be playing your best football in November and December. Though the pass defense is still a concern, the Steelers definitely are an improving football team.

It couldn't come at a better time, either, as the next two weeks are critical to the team's, dare we say, playoff hopes. They have the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night, and in two weeks they host the Miami Dolphins.

Or as Sanders said following the game, "Right now we’re playing playoff football."

Oh, there you are, Steelers.

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TIDBITS: Injuries: Steve McLendon (ankle) and Curtis Brown (knee); post-game press conference and highlights of the win - http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Coach-Tomlin-Post-Game-at-Browns/16a544ce-8bf2-4927-a1e9-ddbaae58f1b9