It will be a rare meaningful and rather evenly-matched meeting between the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-6) and Cleveland Browns (4-6) in Week 12 of the 2013 NFL season. The winner will very much be in contention for the final AFC Wild Card spot as the season turns towards what appears to be a tight final month of competition. The loser will still be in the discussion, but would have to be virtually perfect the rest of the way. And, perhaps most importantly in this heated rivalry, a Pittsburgh victory would avoid another stinging defeat in what has been an unusually difficult season to date, while a Cleveland victory would be a satisfying knockout punch to their hated rivals in the Steel City, City of Champions.
With Cincinnati (7-4) on a bye week, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Baltimore (4-6) can pick up half of a game in the AFC North standings on the division leaders with a win this week. Baltimore hosts the New York Jets (5-5), who currently would earn the sixth and final AFC playoff berth if the season ended after last week. With this game in Cleveland and a visit to Baltimore on national television on Thanksgiving night, Pittsburgh has two vital road games in their quest for an improbable, but still very possible playoff run in what has been an unusual season. After an 0-4 start, the Steelers won two straight, had two very disappointing losses, followed by two solid victories over Buffalo and Detroit in the past two weeks. Sitting at 4-6, a couple of road division wins would very much strengthen playoff positioning for Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, and a Steelers squad still searching for an identity in this up-and-down season.
Cleveland has also been on a bit of a roller coaster ride, beginning the season 0-2 before trading star RB Trent Richardson and winning three straight. However, a three-game losing streak against strong opponents brought the Browns back to reality. A quality victory over Baltimore was erased by a 21-point loss to Cincinnati last week, putting first-year head coach Rob Chudzinski and his young team in a must-win position this week at home against Pittsburgh. The Browns boast a top-notch defense, ranked fourth in the NFL in pass defense (207.5 yards per game) and eighth in rush defense (99.0 yards per game). Roethlisberger will have to be especially careful throwing towards Browns CB Joe Haden’s side of the field. Haden has just three interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown against Andy Dalton last week, but he is a first-rate cover cornerback and will challenge top Steelers WR Antonio Brown. That will put pressure on TE Heath Miller, and receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery, as well as the struggling Steelers running game to produce.
That Pittsburgh rushing offense is ranked 30th in the league with just 76.5 yards per game, but a surging passing offense now ranks seventh at 266.7 yards per game. If the battered offensive line can provide Roethlisberger with enough protection, it is a difficult unit to stop through the air. Detroit certainly had no answer last week, as they sacked Roethlisberger only once and allowed him to throw for four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Defensively, the Steelers ranked eighth against the pass and will likely match up well against Browns QB Jason Campbell, who will play in his fifth game of the season, his fourth start. Campbell has a 55.7 percent completion percentage and has thrown six touchdowns and just three interceptions, but just a 1-2 record as starter.
Cleveland does not have a strong running game, with Willis McGahee as the leading rusher, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry since replacing Richardson in Week 3 after his trade to Indianapolis. Chris Ogbonnaya average over six yards per carry, but only has 27 attempts on the season. Cleveland’s greatest offensive weapons may be WR Josh Gordon (18.8 yards per reception, 4 TD) and TE Jordan Cameron, who has a team-leading 56 receptions and six touchdowns. Cleveland also gets decent production from receivers Greg Little and Davone Bess, in what has proven to be a more formidable offense than perhaps they have had in years. Still, Cleveland has scored the fourth fewest points in all of football, and if the Steelers defense continues to perform well after a miserable performance three weeks ago in New England, the Browns may struggle, even on home turf where they are 3-2 on the season. Pittsburgh is just 1-4 on the road in 2013, winning only at the New York Jets. The Steelers are 1-1 against the AFC North with a home win vs. Baltimore and a road loss at Cincinnati. Sunday’s outcome will likely determine the direction of the remainder of this season. Pittsburgh, with a victory and a 5-6 record, could be tied with several other teams for the last Wild Card spot, barring several other outcomes.
