The Pittsburgh Steelers have to be kicking themselves for the position they’re in heading into Week 17 of the 2015-16 NFL regular season. They lost 20-17 to an injury-ravaged Baltimore Ravens side on Sunday to fall one game behind the New York Jets in the hunt for a Wild Card Playoff berth. The Steelers now have to beat Cleveland on the road in the regular season finale, while hoping for the Jets to lose to Buffalo.
Ben Roethlisberger passed for just 227 yards with two interceptions; wide receiver Antonio Brown finished with just 61 yards; and the Pittsburgh Steelers were upset 20-17 by AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens.
[sc:NFL240banner ]While the passing game struggled, running back DeAngelo Williams was spectacular in the game. Williams ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, and also caught six passes for 53 yards. The Pittsburgh running back struggled against the Browns in the first matchup of the season, though, running for just 54 yards on 17 carries.
Roethlisberger will be hard-pressed for a solid outing after his dud of a game in Week 16. He has the perfect dance partner to do so: Cleveland. Big Ben already torched the Browns earlier in the season, passing for 379 yards and three touchdowns. The dynamic duo of Martavis Bryant and the aforementioned Brown were the catalysts to Roethlisberger’s big performance then.
Bryant led the team with 178 yards and a score against the Browns in Week 10, while Brown had 139 yards and two TDs of his own. However, the Browns have tightened up their passing defense recently, which could force Pittsburgh’s playmakers to work even more. Cleveland has allowed just 204 yards per game and eight total passing touchdowns over the past five weeks.
The Steelers also had a big day on the other side of the ball. Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Shazier, Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Arthur Moats and Jarvis Jones combined to sack Cleveland quarterback Johnny Manziel five times in the Week 10 matchup. If the Steelers’ offense could explode while the defense locks down on Cleveland’s offense, then Pittsburgh may be off to the playoffs with a little help from Rex Ryan and his boys from Buffalo.
The Steelers have won five of their last six against Cleveland, going 4-2 ATS.
Betting on the Cleveland Browns (3-12)
The Cleveland Browns own a firm grip on the second-worst record in the NFL after a 17-13 loss to Kansas City in Week 16. They stand at 3-12 along with the Tennessee Titans, but own a better conference record at 2-9. Getting a win over Pittsburgh in the season finale is actually detrimental to the Browns because they could secure the next first-overall draft pick in 2016 should they instead choose to lose to the Steelers and the Titans also pull off a win against Indianapolis on Sunday.
Don’t expect quarterback Johnny Manziel to quit on the team, though. He’s shown some flashes of brilliance in his appearances operating Cleveland’s offense. Most recently, Manziel passed for just 136 yards with an interception against Kansas City. But he did break the pocket to scramble for 108 rushing yards on 11 carries. Lead running back Isaiah Crowell also had a solid outing on the ground, rushing for 88 yards and a score on 16 carries.
Getting past Pittsburgh’s solid front seven would be difficult. The Steelers rank sixth in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing just 91.5 yards per game. Pittsburgh has also allowed just six rushing touchdowns this season, second-least in the league. If the Browns are to beat their division rival, they’ll have to do it through the air.
Gary Barnidge and Travis Benjamin should look out for bombs coming their way. Manziel was pretty efficient against the Steelers in Week 10, completing 73.3 percent of his passes for 372 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He’ll likely target Benjamin more often this coming Sunday, who caught seven passes for 113 yards in the first matchup against the Steelers. Brian Hartline and Andrew Hawkins should also be solid receivers after combining for 146 yards in the Week 10 matchup.
If the Browns are to spoil Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes, then they’ll need to do a much better job on the other side of the ball. The Browns defense allowed 30 points in the first matchup and could only come up with one sack from Christian Kirksey and an interception from Jordan Poyer.
Cleveland will need their defensive playmakers to shine in this game. Defensive end Desmond Bryant should lead the pass rush with a team-high six sacks. Linebacker Karlos Dansby also has the potential to dazzle with a team-high three interceptions, with two having been returned for pick-sixes.
The Browns are 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games against Pittsburgh.
Writer’s Prediction
The Steelers blow out Cleveland, while keeping their fingers crossed for a Buffalo win against the Jets. Create a betting account now and immerse yourself in the thrilling final week of the NFL regular season.
