What better way for the Pittsburgh Steelers to kick off their 2017 season than with an Week 1 matchup against their long-time rivals the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh has won eight of the last nine meetings against Cleveland (6-2-1 ATS), and it’s pretty safe to assume that Terrible Towels will be vigorously waved around across the country on Sunday.
For the longest time, the Steelers have tormented the Browns in the AFC North. This season, a former Cleveland player gets a chance to get back at his former team in cornerback Joe Haden, who was released by the Browns this offseason and was shortly and gladly picked up by the Steelers. Although the two-time Pro Bowl selection has regressed the past couple of years, Haden could very well revitalize his career playing for a true playoff contender.
Above all else, though, Pittsburgh’s explosive offense will be the team’s strongest weapon in Week 1. Le’Veon Bell, who amassed close to 1,900 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns in just 12 games last season, will finally get a chance to play a full 16-game season for the first time since 2014 and prove that he’s indeed the one true elite running back of the NFL. The tandem of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, as always, will get the job done through the air as well.
Speaking of the passing game, Roethlisberger will also be glad to have young wideout Martivis Bryant as a receiving threat again. Bryant missed all of last season serving a suspension for illegal substance abuse, but his talent on the field cannot be denied. In 2015, the 25-year-old Clemson product played just 11 games and still racked up 765 receiving yards and six touchdowns – easily on-pace for a thousand-yard, double-digit TD campaign.
With hardly a chink in their armor as we speak, the Steelers should be able to make quick work of the Browns; something that NFL fans have grown accustomed to over the years.
In his first season as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Hue Jackson was faced with a littany of injured players that led to a dismal one-win 2016 campaign.
The Browns have often been regarded as the biggest doormats in the league, and there wasn’t much activity from their camp during the offseason to sway the popular opinion. Despite landing the first-overall pick at the draft and getting future star defensive end Myles Garrett, Cleveland still faces a ton of holes in its roster.
Most glaring of those holes, like in seasons past, is quarterback. The Browns took a gamble by taking on big-time bust Brock Osweiler’s hefty contract during the offseason, only to release him following his preseason performances. The team is now banking on another rookie in Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer to lead the offense from here on out, but rookie QBs rarely get to exceed expectations in their maiden seasons.
Cleveland’s defense, meanwhile, appears to be its Achilles’ heel once more. Last season, the team ranked 31st in the NFL in yards allowed and 30th in points surrendered per game. Unless last year’s first-rounder Danny Shelton and former Patriot standout Jamie Collins have outstainding seasons from the front seven, expect the Browns to be near the bottom of league again in terms of defensive statistics.
In essence, don’t count on the Browns to get their new season off to a promising start. As a matter of fact, they haven’t won on Opening Week since 2004.
Writer’s Prediction
The Steelers (-9) win in convincing fashion, 33-17.
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